BAILEY - A contentious board of commissioners meeting in which the Mayor was asked to leave a closed session - the subject of which was a complaint by a town employee against him- ended with a unanimous motion to require the Mayor to keep within the confines of his prescribed duties. The Mayor was also directed to follow personnel policies "without undue harassment or aggression."

NASHVILLE - The adoption of a new UDO Text Amendment to regulate the locations of stand-alone "vape" shops has put the kibosh on suspected plans to place one on NC 97 near the Rocky Mount-Wilson Airport.
Nash commissioners voted unanimously August 3rd to adopt the text amendment into current code, effective immediately, with the understanding that it would be carried over into the draft revised Unified Development Ordinance currently being worked on.

Nashville Chamber of Commerce President Cliff Joyner, left, presents the 2026 Business of the Year Award to Taylor Made Jewelry, Inc. Pictured, left to right, are: Joyner, Ryan Taylor, Diane Taylor, Rachel Taylor and Sales Manager Tracie Rives.

NASHVILLE - Taylor Made Jewelry, a family-owned and operated business that opened its doors in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center in 2002, was named and celebrated as the 2026 Business of the Year during the 75th annual meeting of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.
Diane Taylor, with son Ryan, daughter Rachel, and Tracie Rives, sales manager, accepted the award from Cliff Joyner, Chamber President, at the Elks Club on Thursday night, July 30th.

NASHVILLE- A suddenly-announced plan for Nash County to buy land adjacent to Nash Community College for NCC expansion hit opposition Monday, primarily over the sticker price- but the purchase was narrowly approved in a 4-3 split vote by county commissioners.
Initiated by Mike Gaynor, county attorney, an August 3rd agenda item stated that Nash had already negotiated the purchase of 39.84 acres at 3538 Eastern Avenue, Rocky Mount, for the price of $1,950,000 from sellers Sanjeev Kumar and Supriya Kumar.

NASHVILLE - The issue of where, when and how shipping containers can be used in Nashville may finally be closed, with town council members voting to adopt a final ordinance version at their August 4th meeting.
Brewing for more than a year, and the subject of multiple meetings, a special work session, and numerous iterations by the town planning board along with town staff, a hired consultant and input from local citizens, the topic was offered one final time Tuesday evening for people to have a say.

NASHVILLE - A request from Nashville Methodist Church to allow on-street parking on the west side of nearby S. Hilliard Street has met with town council approval, but the council tabled other parking changes until related ordinance issues could be addressed.
Randy Lansing, town manager, said that the church had asked that the parking restriction to be lifted in order to accommodate additional church parking. A house originally located at 106 S. Hilliard, Lansing said, but now demolished after acquisition by the church, was the reason the no parking zone had been put in place.

With a generous supply of river water flowing over the Tar River Reservoir Dam, augmented by recent rainfall and regional water conservation efforts, the City of Rocky Mount, followed by Nashville, Nash County, and Spring Hope have all lifted Mandatory Stage 1 water restrictions.
The first three agencies listed their new status as Voluntary Stage II Water Conservation, effective August 1st. Spring Hope made its announcement to lift water restrictions effective August 4th.

NASHVILLE- Beginning this week, the Nash County Pet Connection Center is expanding its open hours, including adding two Saturdays a month for people and families to come meet potential new pets.
Stacie Shatzer, Nash County Manager, dropped the news Monday in her manager's report during the August 3rd board of commissioners' meeting.

NASHVILLE - A Nashville woman has been released on bail following her arrest for allegedly shooting at two people inside a vehicle on the evening of July 5th.
Denisha Masha Gray, 32, of 906 Old Wilson Road Nashville was charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors July 6th for an incident involving two people and two vehicles in the roadway of Old Wilson Road and Cockrell Street.

UNC Health Nash Middlesex facility is now open. Contributed photo

MIDDLESEX- Starting this week, doors are open at a new UNC medical facility in Middlesex, increasing the number of available doctors from five to eight and doubling the number of exam rooms from the current facility next door.
Dr. Lee Isley, President and CEO of UNC Nash, told those present at the official July 30th ribbon-cutting that the larger facility will be named UNC Family Medicine at Middlesex. He said that the expansion of services is a response to the region's growth and a desire to reach more people in the western part of Nash County, along with Wendell and Zebulon.

Pictured above: Robert Flowers, outgoing Post Commander; Devell "Bo" Durham Jr., Department of North Carolina Past Commander; Incoming Commander, Bob La Banz.

SPRING HOPE - More pieces are falling into place for this year's Spring Hope National Pumpkin Festival, planned Friday, Oct. 2nd and Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
"We got a much earlier start this year," said Steve Brumfield, commissioner, speaking at the July 20th Downtown Development Board meeting. "We're going to have more vendors than I've seen in a very long time."
Brumfield, who is Festival President, attempted to recuse himself from board action regarding festival permit approval August 3rd, but attorney Nick Berry said that since Brumfield had no financial conflict, it was permissable for Brumfield to vote for permit approval.

Spring Hope's long-awaited caboose arrived Friday, July 31st, and was moved by Edwards crane from a flatbed onto train tracks downtown. Its final position, after restoration, will be next to the Depot on the side towards town hall, intended for Depot storage. Still visible on its original paint is the British flag and "BC Rail," indicating that its origin was in British Columbia, Canada. The caboose was recently transported from a railyard in Greenville, where it had rested since the mid-2000s.

I read an article several years ago about the lasting importance of the Ten Commandments. The author observed, "When God gave his people the Ten Commandments, he wrote them on stone to symbolize their durable, lasting nature. He wrote them on both sides of the stone to signify their thoroughness. And he wrote these laws with his own finger to attest to their supernatural character."
You have probably never noticed it, but the first four commandments deal with our relationships with God.

Christian philosopher Eleonore Stump states, "Orthodox Christian doctrine holds that persons once created are everlasting and are of infinite value. If they become defective, it is up to a good God not to eliminate them, but to fix them if He can." Although Christians hold these truths to be absolute, this statement presents us with a conundrum or a difficulty. That is, how can we say God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-benevolent when we see so much evil in the world? That, of course, has been the question we have labored to address over the last many weeks.

Red Oak Baptist Church will have a Backpack Giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 8:30 a.m. This ministry will support students by providing backpacks filled with school supplies.
Merry Christmas in August! Red Oak Baptist Church is participating in Christmas in August, a ministry of Woman's Missionary Union, by providing needed items for North American Mission Board missionary, Emanuel Carvalho of Deerfield Beach, FL

Usherla Deberry to Thomas James Willson and Tamera S. Willson to 305 Cunningham Drive, Rocky Mount; $250,000
Taylor D. Ferrell, Elaine Virginia Cooper Ferrell and Taylor D. Ferrell to Carson Endicott Fowler and Kristina Fowler; 456 Shellcastle Road, Rocky Mount
Kathy Leonard Lawson to Doris Griffin; Autumn Ridge Subdivision, Phase B1, Block A, Lot 36; $210,000
Gregory J. Roth II and Sharon L. Roth to Jacob S. Johnson and Rebecca R. Johnson; 5030 Overlook Drive, Elm City; $699,500

Building Permit Commercial
Addition; 4461 Boseman Rd, Rocky Mount; Amber Morrow, Licensed Contractor, Cell Site Technologies, Inc.; $29,000
Addition; 16013 Watson Seed Farm Rd, Whitakers, ; Gail Prince, Licensed Contractor, East Rock Development, LLC; $176,038.62
Addition; 7474 Nc 48, Battleboro; Heaven Huffman, Licensed Contractor, Skyward Telecom, LLC; $10,000

1054 Bloomery Rd, Bailey; 07/27/26;common law robbery
10855 Smith Rd, Middlesex; 07/30/26; larceny of a firearm
12040 Nada Rd, Zebulon; 07/26/26; warrant service; resisting arrest/hinder and delay
12481 Bloomer Lane, Whitakers; 07/26/26; resisting arrest/hinder and delay; assault on law enforcement officer; assault with deadly weapon with inflicting serious injury

07/22/26; 2008 S First St, Nashville; felony serious injury by vehicle - DWI
07/22/26; 1847 S First St Apt 71, Nashville; damage to personal property
07/24/26; 118 Virginia Ave., Nashville; open container after consuming; DWI
07/23/26; 100 East Evans Dr., Nashville: open container after consuming; DWI

I was in a Wilmington hotel lobby, having just checked out and sitting alone waiting for my car. The woman working the front desk took a phone call. I had no interest in her business whatsoever, but then:
Woman: Naw, I can't be seen with them in public. I've told you that.
Long pause.
Woman: That's the agreement.

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce honored Taylor Made Jewelry, Inc. as its 2026 Business of the Year last week.
I've had the honor of getting to know Diane Taylor quite well since the store opened here in Nashville in 2022. Her children practically grew up in the store. Today you'll find her son Ryan and daughter Rachel in the shop every day continuing a longtime tradition of the family-owned business.
Another smiling face you'll see at the store is Sales Manager Tracie Rives, who is pretty amazing. Ryan stated upon accepting the award that the family couldn't do it without her. That speaks volumes about someone who cares about what she does and who she does it for!

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on Sept. 14, 1976. Mrs. Annie Parker (center), librarian at the Harold D. Cooley Library in Nashville, accepts a book donated as a memorial gift by the Nash County Democratic Women's Club. The book, A Good Man, the story of a former U.S. Senator Sam Ervin, was presented in memory of the late Braxton Bunn of Stanhope on behalf of the Democratic Women by Mrs. Lib Davenport (left) and Mrs. Jean Wilson.