The 1914 church has been home to Nash County's Cultural Arts Center since 1985. Contributed photo

NASHVILLE - The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office is taking an active interest in the Nash County Cultural Arts Center, sending four representatives to meet with Shelly Gray, Nash Arts Director, Oct. 6.
This was a second visit to the former Nashville Baptist Church by Kristi Brantley, local preservation commission/certified local government coordinator at the State Historic Preservation Office, who first came on Sept. 30th to start conversations about the 111-year old building preservation project.

SPRING HOPE- The town of Spring Hope is looking to extend its current ETJ borders by one mile- and are asking permission from Nash County commissioners to do so. If approved, the expansion would bring Spring Hope's extra territorial jurisdiction smack up against Momeyer and actually overlap Momeyer's ETJ in one spot.
Andrew DeIonno, town manager, addressed the agenda item at the Nov. 10 board of commissioners' meeting, reminding commissioners that the subject came up first on June 24th.

The Spring Hope Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Dan Finch Potter's Market Saturday with a downtown block filled with tents full of handcrafted pottery. Pictured above, Robert and Adrienne Covington admire hand-crafted pottery as they end the day with treasured purchases. Graphic photo by Jo Anne Cooper

ROCKY MOUNT - Nash County Public School officials are anticipating potential negative effects from federal shortfalls, specifically in seven grant areas- but Nash county counterparts say they will need concrete figures before the school district begins to talk budget plans in March.
In addition, Gwen Wilkins, commissioner, is asking both agencies to revisit the idea of raising retention bonuses for school system classified workers.

Red Oak Mayor Levell Langley joins locals waving flags to welcome the Ride of Honor through town. Graphic photo by Nancy West-Brake

Expressions of recognition, respect, gratitude and remembrance were part of multiple area Veterans events, some of which were held the weekend before Veterans' Day on Tuesday, Nov. 11. RED OAK
The town of Red Oak held its annual Veterans Day Memorial Event at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, with the celebration timed to conclude just prior to the Ride of Honor, which began at the Flying Iron Harley-Davidson in Rocky Mount.

NEWSPAPER BABY - Little Kaleb Silver, great-grandson of Vernon and Ruby Tucker, loves to read The Nashville Graphic. Kaleb, born July 22, 2024, gets excited when his great-grandmother opens the newspaper, demanding that he wants to read the paper as well. Though just a little one, he carefully opens each page to see all of the latest news and photos.

ROCKY MOUNT- A Whitakers man reported missing has been found dead one week later, his body seen floating Monday near the Rocky Mount Mills dam.
Jevon Rashad Battle, 31, of 10046 U.S. 301, Whitakers, was reported missing Nov. 3, according to a Nov. 10 press release from the Nash County Sheriff's Office.
Battle's body was recovered from the Tar River Monday by the Rocky Mount Mills dam and has been transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Greenville for autopsy.

An outbreak of infant botulism has prompted a nationwide recall of one brand of infant formula, ByHeart Inc., with one suspected case currently under investigation in North Carolina.
Two lots of ByHeart Inc. Whole Nutrition Infant Formula have been recalled to date, with the following lot numbers:

A trusted face in the Nash County 9-1-1 Communications Center has been promoted to Deputy Director: Michael Vance, of Red Oak, former supervisor, officially assumed his new role as of Nov. 1.
Vance, who began his career with Nash County in November 2008, has worked his way up the ranks while serving as terminal agency coordinator, certified training officer, assistant supervisor and supervisor, with more than a decade of management experience.

SPRING HOPE- The town's library, on track to move from one location to another on the grounds of the Spaulding Family Resource Center, is attracting attention for being one of the most-visited branches of Braswell Memorial Library in Nash County.
Director of Library Services Melissa Corso spoke to town commissioners at Monday's Nov. 10 meeting, relating that Spring Hope's Library, along with Middlesex, has the "highest door count" since its move from the Depot several years ago.

I once heard a story about a little boy who prayed during Sunday School to ask Jesus to come and live in his heart. When he saw his mother, he proudly told her, "Mama, I asked Jesus to come and live in my heart today and take my skin away".
His mother chuckled but later realized that her young child was serious. Several days later, he confided his concern to her. "I've been waiting, Mama, and I still have my skin."

Last time, we began to explore what a hallucination theory concerning the apostle Peter's experiences would look like. From that exploration, we concluded that Peter neither had the "anticipating spirit" nor the "hopeful expectancy" to have hallucinated a risen Jesus. Much of the same can be said of hallucination theories concerning Paul's experience as well.
Similar to Peter, critics often theorize that Paul's experience was a hallucination of the risen Jesus.

Congratulations to Jackson Barnes, Amber Abell, and Pier Rochelle who were baptized at Red Oak Baptist Church on Sunday, Nov. 2!
The Baptist Women's World Day of Prayer was held at Red Oak Baptist Church on Monday, Nov. 3. Ladies representing Red Oak, Dortches, Momeyer, West Mount, Rock Creek, and West Edgecombe came together to celebrate 75 years of prayer for women. Participating from Red Oak were Taylor Brantley, Linda Sheets, Dorothy Pearce, Suzy Pearce, Audrey Pearce, Pam Wood, and Denise Langley.

D.R. Horton, Inc. to Sandra Marie Barth-Shaum, Sandra Marie Barth Shawm; Saddlebrook Subdivision, Phase 1-B, Lot 106
Mitzie C. Brantley to Manuel Rodrigues; 5039 Frazier Road, Spring Hope; $75,000
Linda W. Brannan and Jeffrey G. Brannan to Laura Cheree Clontz; Section II, Fairfield, Block A, Lot 8
Joyce E Bull to Kim Saunders Bobbitt; Section 3, Englewood Subdivision, Block M, Lot 10

Death investigation at W Washington St. on 9/22/25
Possession marijuana ,1/2 oz; poss marijuana paraphernalia at E Green St on 9/24
Larceny misdemeanor at East Evans Dr on 9/23/25
Violation of local ordinances at Indian Trail on 9/22/25

Larceny, felony reported at 100 S. Boddie St., Nashville on 10/24/25
Motor vehicle theft reported at 12825 Old Raleigh Wilson Rd., Middlesex on 10/19/25
Financial transaction card fraud reported at 2568 Buckboard Trail, Rocky Mount on 10/19/25
Discharge firearm into occupied dwelling/moving vehicle reported at 2585 Campground Rd., Nashville on 10/23/25

A 100-year-old British World War II veteran was interviewed on the BBC and told the reporter that the sacrifice his friends made and the lives of his other comrades at risk was not worth it. It was one of the saddest stories I've read this year.
"My message is, I can see in my mind's eye, rows and rows of white stones, of all the hundreds of my friends and everybody else, that gave their lives - for what?" Alex Penstone said. "The country of today... No, I'm sorry, the sacrifice wasn't worth the result that it is now."

Charlie Hennes

Downtown Spring Hope was filled with a grand variety of hand-crafted pottery thanks to the Spring Hope Chamber of Commerce who hosted the annual Dan Finch Potters' Market again this year.
It's always amazing to see someone's art and the details of each piece. You're guaranteed to not find two pieces alike at such a show.
The most amazing moment during my visit Saturday afternoon was meeting two youngsters who had actually displayed and sold their own hand-crafted and designed pottery pieces.

This photo was pulled from The Nashville Graphic 1962 archives. Nashville High School cheerleaders ride in the Harvest Festival Parade.