NASHVILLE - Just a couple days after UNC Nash reps appeared before the Nashville town council on June 3, Golden Leaf Foundation announced an award of $500,000 to the town of Nashville to extend a waterline to the new facility.
UNC Health Nash plans to break ground on its new medical office building in Nashville by the end of the month, but the building won't be coming with a usually-required pedestrian sidewalk.

NASHVILLE - Retired Nash Superior Court Judge Quentin Sumner has begun the process to run for a seat on the Board of Commissioners in 2026, specifically for District 2, currently represented by veteran commissioner Fred Belfield.
"Fred has been a phenomenal leader, who has dedicated the better part of his life to the citizens to Nash County. He is to be commended," Sumner said up front.

NASHVILLE - Retired Nash County Sheriff's Deputy Lt. Angel Ricks was not only awarded her service weapon at the most recent Nash County Commissioners' meeting, but she got a little extra- she was awarded the state's highest honor: The Honor of the Long Leaf Pine from the office of Governor Josh Stein.
The Order is bestowed to people "who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments," according to the website for The Order Of the Long Leaf Pine Society.

MOMEYER- The proposed FY2026 budget for the town of Momeyer has a surprise gift for town residents: trash pickup for all 140 homes, with no rise in the tax rate.
"The town has been talking about doing trash pickup since 1993," said Will Funderburg, Mayor, "so it makes sense to fulfill that need."
Funderburg and council members made the decision to add the service during the council's June 9 meeting, remarking that for many older residents, it could be difficult to schlep garbage to the closest Nash County Convenience Center, located at 7008 US-64 Alternate in Spring Hope, even though that is less than three miles from the center of town.

NASHVILLE- Nash County Public School officials have rubber-stamped a new attendance policy to allow students off campus during school hours for voluntary religious instruction, paving the way for Lifewise Academy to begin operations at Nashville Elementary this fall.
Board members reviewed the policy addition for a "Release Time Program" at a May 29th committee meeting prior to making a full board vote for approval June 2.
Effective beginning the 2025-2026 school year, students may be released one hour per week from non-CORE curriculum classes to participate in a Release Time Program conducted by a "private entity off school system property."

NASHVILLE - Call them humps or bumps, but a request from residents for something to slow down speedy "shortcut" drivers was heard and will be answered, with the Nashville town council voting June 3 to purchase two rubber speed bumps to install on Ward Street.
A petition signed by 14 of 17 residents asked for the bumps "due to the high amount of traffic from Highway 58 to Brake Street," and also because of "the future addition of another housing development near Richardson Court and Southside Drive."

NASHVILLE - Four years after finding out about the possibility of FEMA buyout assistance to deal with flood-prone Indian Trail properties, the gears are grinding slowly to make the plan a reality. The town has closed on six properties, the most recent three with deed transfers at 545, 549 and 604 Indian Trail.
A Graphic article dated September 15, 2021, said Randy Lansing, town manager, was pursuing buyout opportunities at that time. He discovered the possibility of applying to the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management for a flood buyout program through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Program.

Northern Nash High School's mascot, the Knight, made a special appearance at last week's ribbon cutting for the new Field House. See inside today for coverage.

Retired Lt. Patrick Brian Ricks (left) is awarded his service weapon, a 357 handgun, upon retirement from NCSO Chief Deputy Allen Wilson.

NASHVILLE - Four retired Nash County Sheriff's deputies were honored with service weapon awards at the June 2 Nash Board of commissioners meeting.
Allen W. Wilson, NCSO Chief Deputy, called Lt. Patrick Brian Ricks, Sgt. Jeffrey Wilkins and Lt. Angel Ricks before commissioners front and center, while requesting county approval to award them their Sig .357 sidearms. Absent but also honored was Sgt. Vernon Battle.

Retired Lt. Angel Ricks, second from right, is awarded her service weapon, a 357 handgun, from NCSO Chief Deputy Allen Wilson, right; Major Brandon Jenkins, left; and Captain Robert Bowen, second from left.

In January of this year, we lost a wonderful man who had such an impact in the world of college football. But more importantly, he had a tremendous impact on fathers, helping them to live a godly life in front of their wives and children.
His name was Bill McCartney. He was the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes for 13 years. He coached Colorado to a national championship in 1990, and in 2013, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. - Psalm 90:14
"How can I pray for you?" When I am asked this simple question, it is a great kindness from the Lord. Not knowing what to say, I often answer by asking that person to pray Psalm 90:12 for me: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses - the only psalm attributed to Moses.

The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids with the ratio of the height to the base equal to 1:1.618--The Golden Ratio. The ancient Athenians, those masters of architecture, built the Parthenon with its column configurations and dimensions based upon the Golden Ratio. Last week, we looked at several examples from nature that satisfy the Golden Ratio. The facial features of people that society generally deems "attractive" are fascinating aspects of the Golden Ratio. In a sense, facial recognition technology can be thought of as a method that analyzes how much a person's facial proportions deviate from the Golden Ratio.

It was a great day for the Family Fun Day at the Wollett Mill Pond Venue on Friday, June 6. There were activities for children including a bounce house, outdoor games, face painting, and as well as a story time with Suzy Pearce who read her book, "Earl's Family Reunion." Guests could also enjoy fishing by the pond. Several vendors were there selling their goods and food trucks for your appetite.
Congratulations to Jamie Lewis who was baptized at Red Oak Baptist Church on Sunday, June 8.

ROCKY MOUNT - Nash County Public Schools (NCPS) honored its exceptional educators during the 2025-2026 Educator of the Year Awards, held at May 21 at the Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount.
The evening celebrated the following district-level honorees:

Appalachian State University has announced its Spring 2025 graduates. Local students include:
Katie Elizabeth Avery of Rocky Mount, Master of Social Work; Natalie Brooke Bernat of Spring Hope, Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Foods with Summa Cum Laude honor; Abigail Taylor Fritsch of Rocky Mount, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design with Summa Cum Laude honor; Hannah Elise Gerlach of Rocky Mount, Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with Summa Cum Laude honor; Kaeden Ivey Lewis of Nashville,

Appalachian State University has announced that 3,189 undergraduate students have been named to the Chancellor's List and 5,179 undergraduate students have been named to the Dean's List for spring 2025 -- a combined total of 8,368 honorees.
To be included on the Dean's List, undergraduates must either be enrolled in 12 to 14 hours of academic credit and attain a minimum 3.45 grade point average or be enrolled in 15 hours or more of academic credit and attain a minimum 3.25 grade point average.

By the time this column hits your mailbox, Kristi and I will be just days from our daughter's wedding. Many of you read about Holly as she grew up over the last quarter century and we are definitely turning a life page.
It turns out we like her fiancée and got that hit man called off just in time. We view this not as losing a daughter but gaining a son. People say this a lot when they obviously don't mean it, but the boy understands barbecue and the 2nd Amendment.

The newspaper industry has got to be the slowest of all when it comes to charging what we're worth.
Subscription and newsstand revenues have never, and never will be, the main source of revenue for a newspaper. Advertising revenue has always been what keeps a newspaper afloat.
When I came on board with The Nashville Graphic 34 years ago, the newsstand price per copy was 25 cents. A subscription for home delivery was $17.70 per year. Looking at today's subscription rate, that's only a 65 cents increase per year!

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on August 27, 1964. A stack of liquor stills were shown indicating the volume of moonshine business in Nash County. ABC Chief Curtis Womble had the pile of copper and steel ready to transfer to Alec Rawls Wrecking Company which paid $728.34 for it.