Businesses are frustrated with the new developments at the intersection of Old Carriage Road, Eastern Avenue and Sunset Avenue as part of the widening project underway, particularly the removal of all left turns and additional roundabouts.
Kim Moore, resident engineer of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), offered an update at Thursday's county commissioner meeting on the Eastern Avenue widening project while also explaining why recent changes had taken place.

Nash County Health Department Director Bill Hill said Nash County is still experiencing a vertical surge of COVID-19 cases.
He said over the past week there has been 2,510 new cases which brings the county to 22,691 confirmed cases.
Hill said hospitalizations are steadily increasing compared to the past few weeks.

WARREN, MEIRING

Two Nashville Elementary students will be headed to compete in Nash County's district-wide spelling bee in February.
All Nash County schools are holding individual spelling bee competitions to determine which of its students will move forward to the district-wide version.
Roughly 32 Nashville Elementary third, fourth and fifth graders vied for a spot inside the school's media room January 14.

A local scout wants to use his Eagle Scout project to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
Parker Sherrod, 15, of Troop 76 in Nashville, came before Nash County Commissioners earlier this month requesting permission to add the names of fallen officers to the Fraternal Order of Police Memorial on the Nash County Courthouse grounds.

Nashville residents will have the chance to experience the beauty of winter when they attend a drive-thru light show happening in one week.
Nash County Recreation and Senior Services, the Nash County Sheriff's Office, the NC Cooperative Extension, and the Town of Nashville have partnered to bring a one-of-a-kind light show, Lights of Winter Wonderland, to the Nash County Agriculture Center for three nights, starting January 27.

Nashville will soon be seeing new businesses opening up in the shopping center where Dollar Country was located.
The building is undergoing extensive renovations to make room for a Dunkin Donuts as well as at least two other businesses.
Richard Belk, who is developing the property, said around 50 feet of the former Dollar Country building was taken off as part of the renovations. Dunkin Donuts will offer a small seating area as well as a drive-thru. Belk said plans are for it to open at the end of February.

For the first time ever, the mayor of Spring Hope has an advisory board to help bring forth issues of the town and ideas to rectify them to the board of commissioners.
The plan to form an advisory board came to Mayor Kyle Pritchard after he said while campaigning for the seat, many residents indicated they were dissatisfied of feeling unheard at the town hall monthly meetings.

Two people were killed in a crash that happened in Nash County Sunday morning.
Trooper Brad Boone of the State Highway Patrol said the single vehicle crash was reported around 9:20 a.m. along I-95 southbound near mile marker 132, southwest of Rocky Mount towards Wilson.

The Nash County Board of Education voted in a new chairperson last Thursday during their regular meeting.
Bill Sharpe will now lead the board in 2022, as he received the majority of votes to serve as the chair of the board. Sharpe won the chair role in a 7-3 vote.
Board members Chris Bissette, Dean Edwards and Ricky Jenkins voted against Sharpe taking the helm, instead voting for Franklin Lamm to serve another term as chair. Lamm abstained from voting.

To reduce bicycle injuries and deaths, the N.C. Department of Transportation is encouraging people across the state to receive free bicycle helmets as part of its annual Bicycle Helmet Initiative.
The program, founded in 2007 and overseen by the Integrated Mobility Division, has provided thousands of helmets to children, including providing more than 30,000 helmets in the last five years.

Nashville Chamber of Commerce Vice-President Cliff Joyner (right) presents Alexis Simpson (center) with $500 she won in the chamber\'s "It Pays to Shop Local" campaign. Pictured left is Jill Boone, owner of Jody\'s of Nashville.

Nashville's Chamber of Commerce was busy throughout the 2021 holiday season with a persistent effort to encourage shoppers to keep their spending local.
The chamber, in partnership with The Nashville Graphic, held its second annual "It Pays to Shop Local" campaign which was launched in mid November.
Shoppers were asked to submit their receipts when shopping with a chamber member for one lucky winner to be drawn for the prize of $500.

Nashville's Town Council approved the hiring of Mack Gay and Associates of Rocky Mount to conduct an asset inventory assessment of its water and sewer systems.
Council members unanimously approved the professional services contract in the amount of $150,000 for the water system and $150,000 for the sewer system for a total cost of $300,000.

The Golden LEAF Scholarship application for the 2022-2023 academic year is now available at CFNC.org. A total of 215 awards will be offered to first-time recipients from qualifying rural and economically distressed or tobacco-dependent counties including Nash County. Applications are due March 1, 2022.
The awards are valued at $14,000 ($3,500 per year for up to four years) for North Carolina high school students attending a participating North Carolina college or university. North Carolina community college transfer students can receive $3,500 per year for up to three years.

Funds from a concealed carry class in December were contributed to the financial support of Mark Boykin who was severely beaten when he confronted three men attempting to steal from his neighbor's yard. The event raised $3,620. Masonic Lodge in Bailey hosed the event and United States Concealed Carry Association (#USCCA) offered financial support of the event as well.

Tabitha Murphy of Castalia has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's Fall 2021 President's List.
Thomas Davis of Nashville has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's Fall 2021 Dean's List.
Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.500 to 3.699 are named to the Dean's List.

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
In 2004, I was fired from my position as county manager where I lived. The 3-to-2 vote that resulted in my dismissal came as quite a surprise. I had committed no offense. In fact, the local county commission chairman characterized it as a "hatchet job".

We at Peachtree Baptist Church and a number of other churches in the area did not attend this past Sunday due to the snow and icy weather.
This week, since we did not have church, I decided to go back to some of my past columns from this time in past years.
How Can God Use Me When Others Suffer? God call us to stand up for those who suffer from injustice." Isaiah 58:3-11.

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.

SIMPLY PUT....
Unconditional love is waiting to be adopted at the Nash County Animal Control Shelter on N. First Street in Nashville. As I look around at my fur babies, I am blessed. They are part of my family. They entertain, they hang on my every word, they rely on me and are appreciative.

The local region of Teach For America has received a grant from the DeLeon Carter Foundation.
"We're grateful to the DeLeon Carter Foundation for their donation of $4,000 to Teach For America, specifically targeting our work in Eastern North Carolina for the 2021-2022 school year," said Dr. Monique Perry-Graves, Executive Director of Teach For America North Carolina.

There have been several French-related items in the news lately, it is about time they got ad-"dressed" here.
My best (read: only) French friend says that when I post about 'French stuff' on social media, he believes I am baiting him into a trap. I think my "Classified Ad for a French Army Rifle" and "Freedom Fries" riffs of a decade ago still linger for him.

Dear Editor, In the paper recently, Mike Brantley used his platform, "The Soapbox" to bemoan the college loan repayments the government requires him to make. He argues that the student loan system is broken. Yet, by his own admission, he took out the debt willingly at age 40 in order to obtain an advanced degree. There was no coercion involved here. No duress.

Other than COVID-19 cases skyrocketing, and a near hit to earth by an asteroid, I'd say things are pretty normal around Nash County - other than the fact that we're facing the implementation of 7 roundabouts on Eastern Avenue and Sunset Avenue between Nashville and the interchange of I-95 on Sunset Avenue. An eighth roundabout will also be added on Old Carriage at the entrance of subdivision. Also, left turns have been removed from the intersection of Eastern, Sunset and Old Carriage, where three businesses are located including Sheetz, Hardee's and EP Mart.

This photo originally published in The Nashville Graphic on February 1, 1989. Viola Reges (left) BPW Club president is pictured with Minnie Pearl (Elsie Clark) at the Opry which was an annual event sponsored by the Nashville BPW.

NORTHERN NASH'S JESSIAH ATKINSON

RED OAK -- Northern Nash's home boys basketball meeting with North Edgecombe last Wednesday seemed to provide an uphill battle for the Fighting Knights -- until their furious final finish.
After taking the lead early, Northern Nash saw the visiting Warriors quickly claw back -- and lead for the majority of the remainder of the non-conference outing.

NORTHERN NASH'S PHOEBE ATKINS

ROCKY MOUNT -- Nash Central continued its strong 2021-22 boys swimming campaign by taking another first place at the latest pseudo-Big East Conference Meet last Thursday at the Harrison Family YMCA Pool.
Big East clubs Rocky Mount, Nash Central, Northern Nash and Southern Nash took part in the event, along with non-league foes SouthWest Edgecombe and Tarboro.

RED OAK -- Has it really been 20 years since Red Oak Middle School began its athletic program?
It certainly doesn't feel that way -- until you look at all of the title banners hanging from the ROMS Gymnasium.
Red Oak's athletic success has been nothing short of amazing, as evidenced by the only number you need to know.

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash High School's boys basketball program has made significant progress over the past handful of years, but one bugaboo has remained for the Firebirds in Big East Conference action.
The perennial powerhouse Rocky Mount Gryphons.

RED OAK -- A capacity crowd was in attendance at Northern Nash High School last Friday for a crucial matchup on the hardwood between the basketball teams at Northern Nash and Southern Nash High.
The night was led off by Northern's girls edging Southern by a 44-39 score, pushing the team's Big East Conference record to 3-3 on the season.

DANVILLE, VA. -- The North Carolina Wesleyan College men's basketball team returned to action last Saturday afternoon and fell 75-56 on the road at rival Averett University (Va.) after a long hiatus due to the holiday break and COVID protocols.
Averett got off to a strong start, leading 13-4 early before taking a 42-26 halftime edge on 48.5 percent shooting while holding the Bishops to just 30 percent first half shooting.

Northern Nash's Randall King goes up for two points for the Fighting Knights during last Wednesday's home victory against North Edgecombe in non-conference boys basketball action at the NNHS Gymnasium.

SOUTHERN NASH'S MADYSON QUINCY

NORTHERN NASH'S CANNON PUCKETT