NASHVILLE - The proposed FY 25 budget for the town of Nashville barely got on the table for review before town officials started talking about cutting the tax rate, initially proposed as staying at 61 cents. At the end of a May 15 budget workshop session, council members voted to reduce it to 59 cents per $100 valuation, and by a May 22 continued session, $97,000 in general fund expenses had been cut.

A Nashville Police officer was due back on duty this week after recovering from a head injury stemming from a vehicle chase in Nashville May 5. It ended with four law enforcement vehicles being struck.
Three men from New York, David Coulanges, Obed Jean and Tyliek Kimbrough were arrested on multiple counts from the incident, among them obtaining property by false pretense, identity fraud, conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery notes checks securities and resisting arrest.

William Thomas Toney, Jr. (left) is presented a shadow box of various badges, patches and his service gun during a retirement celebration last week.

NASHVILLE - Spring Hope Commissioner William Thomas Toney Jr., a former Nash County Sheriff's Deputy, has officially ended his law enforcement career as of May 17, when a career celebration was held for him at the Nash County Courthouse.
Toney, who was elected in November 2023 with the most votes of any candidate in a five-person race for two Spring Hope Commissioner seats, served with the Nash County Sheriff's Office from December 2014 until he was injured on duty on February 4, 2021, during a traffic stop on I-95.

A public hearing is planned 7 p.m. June 3 on the proposed $2.7 million Spring Hope town budget which has an unchanged tax rate of 67 cents per $100 of valuation, the same as the last two years.
The total proposed budget, at $2,770,010, which combines the general fund budget and the enterprise fund (including water and sewer), is higher than last year's because of the revaluations, which will add about $260,000 for the year in the general fund, according to Michelle Collins, town clerk.

Downtown Nashville may be brighter over the Christmas Holiday season if town officials approve a plan to purchase 39 new Christmas lights, as suggested by the town's Downtown Strong Advisory Board May 20.
Board members voted to purchase 10 new outlined lights, designed in the forms of a white snowflake, a pair of red be-ribboned bells, and a green Christmas tree, using MSD (municipal service district) funds, while requesting the town to purchase 29 more with town funding.

NASHVILLE - Nashville Police Officers, in conjunction with other local law enforcement, will be running downtown Nashville Tuesday, May 28, carrying an actual torch for the Nash County lap of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics.
This will be the 4th year that NPD has participated, but the local run is just the tip of the iceberg.

MOMEYER - Having budgeted $3,000 for a long-absent community event, Momeyer Town officials are looking for a few good men (or women) to put the event together.
Initially postulated as a return of the July 4th parade, the idea has changed over the past few months of town council discussions to become a "community day," such as has also been done in the past at the Fire Department and Ruritan Club.

Sixteen low-income homes in parts of Nash County have had or are getting loans for housing rehabilitation, thanks to federal loans administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Nash County will be allocating $20,063, the last of its share of the money, for rehab projects in Middlesex, Whitakers and Spring Hope, with a Spring Hope home getting the lion's share of $8,406, according to a Home Reinvestment Partnership Fund Reconciliation Agreement accepted May 6 by Nash Commissioners.

Nash Central Bulldog Athletes have won a state award for community service for work done last fall to host a medical clinic at the high school.
The school was one of two teams in the state in the 2A class to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Commissioners' Trophy, along with a $1,000 award to be used in its athletic program.

INCIDENTS
Larceny of a firearm reported at 110 Circle Drive, Nashville on 5/12/24
Possession of drug paraphernalia (not marijuana) simple possession schedule II controlled substance reported at 813 Western Ave., Nashville on 5/16/24
Fleeing attempt to elude law; resisting arrest/hinder and delay; conspiracy to commit a felony; forgery-notes, checks, securities; identity fraud; forgery-uttering;

Assault with serious bodily injury reported at 10472 Village heights, Whitakers on 5/18/24
Larceny after breaking and entering reported at 1134 Golden Acres Dr., Spring Hope on 5/13/24
Motor vehicle theft reported at 1143 Golden Acres Dr., Spring hope on 5/13/24
Flee/elude arrest with motor vehicle, felony reported at 1205 Eastern Ave., Nashville on 5/15/24

RED OAK - The town of Red Oak has passed its $1,247,500 FY 2025 budget with nary a peep from the public during its May 13 town council meeting.
Posted on the town website after an April 18 budget work session, the budget has a 6% drop from last year but $30,000 increase for the town's 4th of July festival, which brings that into par with the annual Christmas festival.

We frequently receive emails from readers seeking answers to spiritual dilemmas that life brings their way. Without a doubt, the most frequently question I get asked is "How can i know for certain that i really experienced salvation from the Lord"?
One reader recently wrote:
"I love Jesus with everything in me. I have committed my life to him and truly believe.

Romans is perhaps the greatest letter ever written. The epistle is a clear, compelling, and comprehensive argument for justification by faith alone - the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls. But Romans is not just about what Christians believe. It is also about how Christians behave. Romans 12 shifts the focus of the letter from doctrine to duty.
How should Christians live?

Women in Action missions group of Red Oak Baptist Church met together on Tuesday, May 14 at the church. They learned about and prayed for missionaries of the month and also participated in a project. The group made socks filled with rice to donate to the Nash County Pet Connection. Rice socks can be used at animal shelters as heating pads. They can be warmed in the microwave and soothe animals that have had surgery and provide warmth for kittens and puppies. The group also collected items for Meredith Walujjo to use in her ministry in Uganda with the children. The next Women in Action meeting will be Tuesday, June 11.

The West Mount Ruritan Club presented five academic scholarships at the club's regular meeting on May 16th. The scholarship recipients, who attended the meeting with family members, were (left to right): Charles Brown, Kylee Pitt, Club President Angela Becker who presented the scholarships on behalf of the club, Savanna Wells, Ashton Rhodes and Arby Bell.

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) announces Jarrett Davis of Nashville and Elisha Pope of Spring Hope being named to the Winter 2024 Dean's List. The winter terms run from January to May.

Morgan Richardson of Nashville has been named to Southern New Hampshire University's (SNHU) Winter 2024 President's List. The winter terms run from January to May.

Cornerstone Home Lending and Cornerstone Capital Bank SSB to Humphrey and Hyatt Realty Group, LLC; 9099 White Oak Hill Road, Bailey; $235,000
Chris M. Sandifer and Sarah L. Sandifer to Legacy Legacy, LLC; 321 South Tillery Street, Rocky Mount; $60,000
Legacy Legacy LLC to Luendreo Barboza and Matthew Marra; 321 South Tillery Street, Rocky Mount; $45,000

Deck; 3136 Octaivia Dr., Rocky Mount; Donna Austin; $23,000
New single family dwelling; 8960 Ava Dr., Bailey; Steven Futrell; $211,938.93
New single family dwelling; 8942 Ava Dr., Bailey; Steven Futrell; $205,660.79

Rocky Mount
5/28/2024: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Environmental Services Building, 1221 Thorpe Road
5/31/2024: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Braswell Memorial Library, 727 North Grace Street

RALEIGH - The economic impact of North Carolina's agriculture and agribusiness industry jumped to $111.1 billion, posting a second straight year of strong growth at nearly $8 billion Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced last week.
"With last year's increase of $10 billion, that represents over $18 billion in growth since 2022 when we were coming out of a pandemic and some challenging economic times," Troxler said at the opening of the 2024 Got to Be NC Festival.

Memorial Day is upon us and for most people, that signals the beginning of summer.
The school year is over or almost so, and that means time for vacations, family time and a different approach to life in general for about three months.
Trips will be planned, and the beaches will soon be crowded. Luckily in this fine state, we also have the mountains, and they will get their share of visitors as well.
Public and personal pools will be open, cookouts will happen, and summer movies will be released.

Many towns and rural areas will be quiet the coming days as many people leave home to celebrate Memorial Day at the coast or other vacation spot.
Riding on the coattail of our legendary SoapBox author, Mike Brantley, Memorial Day is far more than a reason to launch vacation season or shop special retail store sales. We have thousands upon thousands of reasons to celebrate Memorial Day remembering those who are no longer with us who graciously served to protect our freedoms.

This photo was published in The Nashville Graphic on February 2, 1967. The photo caption read: Sam Ennis (second from left) of Northern Nash seems to perform a basketballitis operation on another Northern Player, Ollin Manning, who is using one of the Four Oaks players as a table.