NASHVILLE - The Nashville Police Department has a new Police Chief: Caleb Shockley, formerly a lieutenant within the department, was announced as Chief March 19.
The NPD has been without its own chief at the helm since former Chief J.T. Winstead resigned in October of 2023, after which Chris Joyner, then Fire Chief, was appointed Public Safety Officer to oversee both the police and fire departments.

NASHVILLE - Nash County's 4-H program appears to be at risk, with an NC State Hiring Freeze affecting potential re-hires for five current vacancies at the Nash Ag Center.
According to Justin Moore, Director of Marketing and Communications for NC State Extension, the N.C. Cooperative Extension Nash County Center currently has five open positions.

Momeyer Family Day was held at the Momeyer Ruritan Club Saturday, March 22. An estimated 120-140 people attended. Pictured above, Gabriel Funderburg uses a deft hand to make cotton candy.

NASHVILLE - The town of Nashville has held off renewing its Glover Park interlocal agreement with Nash County until some details can be worked out about the upcoming new Splash Pad, expected in 2026.
The agreement dates from 2020 and is due to expire June 30, 2025. It allows the county to maintain and supervise Glover Park, which it uses to book field athletic sports tournaments.

NASHVILLE - A nuisance abatement hearing for 108 Barnes Street in Nashville has been tabled in order to give the tenant time to finish a cleanup job.
Shawn Lucas, planning and development director, updated town council members at their March 19 meeting, giving background on the property, which is owned by Johnny R. and Wade Medlin of Rocky Mount but used by a tenant, "Robert."

NASHVILLE - An innovative joint partnership designed to streamline emergency response services to local schools - the Safeguard Task Force - is now in the works at the Nash County Sheriff's Office. Its formative meeting was held Feb. 27, with the effort spearheaded by Sheriff Keith Stone.
Sgt. Kevin Bissette, currently a NCSO Detective, will be assuming leadership April 1 over School Resource Officers (SROs) in Nash County Schools with the oncoming retirement of Lt. Angel Ricks, celebrated last year as State Law Enforcement Officer of the year by the American Legion.

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Junction has been approved for specific commercial uses and conditional rezoning, the move sliding by with not a peep of discussion at the March 18 town council meeting; the quick action was in sharp contrast to a lengthy standoff at the council's March 4 meeting with property owner Michael Hurt.
Hurt's initial list of requested uses numbered more than 22, while the approved list stood at 18.

NASHVILLE - The Nashville Fire Department is finalizing plans on who - and what - will go where once the newly constructed Fire Station 2 on Oak Level Road comes online, taking town officials, residents and media on a tour after the March 19 town council meeting.
The floors aren't painted and electrical work is being finished up, but walls, doors and rooms are now in place, with a Grand Opening planned in May and actual operations to begin there sometime in April.

NASHVILLE - Developers of the Cardinal Woods subdivision, located off Glover Park Memorial Drive, got final design plans approved for phases two and three of construction, with a planned total of housing units estimated at 246.
While no company reps from Starlight Homes were at the March 19 Nashville town council meeting, the council approved submission of the final plat after a request was made by Shawn Lucas, Planning and Development Director.

RALEIGH- Two deputies with the Nash County Sheriff's Office have joined a state task force on counterfeiting.
Deputy P. Hufton and Deputy J. Clark were officially sworn in Feb. 25 in Raleigh by Elaine F. Marshall, Secretary of State, as members of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State Anti-Counterfeiting Trademark Task Force.
Marshall established the task force in 2004, beginning with one agent and a small group of local law enforcement officers.

Hayden Graziano of Momeyer, Addison Lucas of Middlesex and Ariyah Graziano of Momeyer get ready to enjoy their cotton candy.

NC State Auditor Dave Boliek was the keynote speaker for the GOP convention.

ROCKY MOUNT - Nash County Republicans held their annual convention March 20 at Nash Community College, filling Brown auditorium at Nash Community College and announcing growing affiliate clubs and new social media avenues to help promote the party.
Mark Edwards, Nash GOP Chair, said that two years ago, the group had no republican-affiliated groups - but now, there are three with a fourth about to start. There are two Republican Women's groups, a Republican Men's group that is starting, and about to start is a Nash County Teenage Republican Club.

RALEIGH - Rep. Allen Chesser of Nash County has filed a new bill, the NC REINS Act, which would require any proposed regulatory rules that exceed $1 million a year in impact on the public to go through the legislative process.
The House Regulatory Reform Committee passed the NC REINS Act, also known as House Bill 402, March 18; it now goes to the House Judiciary committee for further review.

Robbie and I enjoy a style of music called "Southern Gospel". Every year we go to a conference called NQC where approximately 10,000 are in attendance. We hear great music from the nation's top Christian groups. We also hear many nationally known ministers. We've made so many great friends from our 30 years of attending.
One group that has been ministering since the 1970's is the Nelon's.

Red Oak Baptist Church will celebrate Easter with a Maundy Thursday Communion Experience on April 17 at 6:30 p.m. All are invited!
The Red Oak Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held this year at Red Oak Baptist Church on Sunday, April 20 at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast provided at 8:00 a.m.

I first heard about the Ides of March in a high school English class. I didn't think too much about it other than we had to memorize some lines from Shakespeare that semester. Memorizing has always given me problems.
This year, during the Ides of March, I got COVID. In the fever dream of days that followed, I realized that many of my troubles of the last decade have come at this time of year.

Over the past thirty-plus years at The Graphic, I've witnessed quite a few folks walk into new law enforcement leadership roles. I've covered four sheriffs, five Nashville police chiefs, and numerous law enforcement leaders across Nash County.
It's always interesting to watch the overall changes within a department and community when the change of guard happens.
Nashville announced last week the promotion of Lt. Caleb Shockley as its new police chief.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on April 9, 1964. Nashville's FHA officers are shown above with their advisor, Mrs. Ruth Perry.

STANHOPE -- The Southern Nash softball team built on its perfect 2025 campaign last Friday night, improving to 9-0 on the year and 4-0 in league play with a 10-0 run-rule victory over the Northern Nash Lady Knights.
Not only did the victory mark the ninth-straight win for the Ladybirds, it was the team's seventh shutout in a row, with Southern last surrendering a run on Feb. 27 in a 2-1 win at West Johnston.

NASH COUNTY -- 'We've Only Just Begun' crooned 'The Carpenter's back in the 1970s.
But 50 years later, those words could easily apply to the Northern Nash High School boys basketball program, which is in the midst of a decade-long run of dominance in the Big East Conference and beyond.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Without Faile, she'll be remembered as one of the best girls soccer players to ever grace the silver and maroon at Nash Central High School.
But Kaylee Faile hopes to have a few more tricks up her scoring sleeve as she heads toward the homestretch of her career with the Lady Bulldogs.
The skilled Faile is part of a small-but-skilled senior class that is leading Central through one of its best seasons in recent memory.
Heading into Tuesday's showdown against backyard rival Northern Nash, the Lady Bulldogs are a strong 5-0 to start the campaign.

NASH COUNTY -- Nash Central, Northern Nash and Southern Nash went a combined 34-36 on the girls basketball hardwood this past season -- but don't be deceived by that statistic.
Each school appears to be on an upward trajectory heading into next year -- the first under the updated realignment by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

NASH COUNTY -- A pair of Nash County rivals met on the baseball diamond tlast week, with Southern Nash sweeping a two-game set over Northern Nash, taking the opener 8-6 and following it up the next day with a 6-2 victory. Not only did the Firebirds collect a pair of crucial Big East Conference wins, but Southern rallied from behind in both games as well, erasing a 3-0 Knights' lead in the opener and bouncing back from a 1-0 deficit in the finale.

NASH COUNTY -- No outcome was going to be 100 percent perfect, but Nash County's stars are aligned in the best possible position for the next four years following the latest realignment by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
The days of Nash Central being in the same conference with county brethren Rocky Mount, Southern Nash and Northern Nash are over -- at least for the next four years.

ROCKY MOUNT -- As the sports participation landscape continues to evolve (or devolve if you ask some people), it's getting more difficult by the day to find a student-athlete who puts his or her team ahead of personal accomplishments.
But Nash Central's Allie O'Leary is one of those old-school performers, and her talent, extra effort and attitude have been rewarded with a chance to compete on the collegiate level.

ROCKY MOUNT -- In a recent rarity, the race for the Big East Conference boys golf team champion could very well go down to the final match of the campaign.
That's because Roanoke Rapids has been the start-to-finish leader in the Big East over the past few seasons -- which made the schedule less and less meaningful as the spring progressed.
But that has changed in 2025 as the Yellow Jackets are in rebuilding mode, while Northern Nash and Franklinton are placed well to fill the title void.