GRIFFIN

NASHVILLE - A Nash County EMS pickup truck, draped with black and strewn with flowers on its hood, stood in mute testimony Monday to the loss of Dale Griffin, EMS Director, who passed away Saturday, August 8th, in a drowning accident near Shackleford Banks, Carteret County.
The Beaufort Fire Department was the first emergency response agency to arrive on the scene, relating that firefighters recovered Griffin, 60, from the water and immediately began resuscitation efforts. Also assisting were crews from Harkers Island, the Beaufort Police Department, Carteret County Emergency Management and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commision.

NASHVILLE - The town of Nashville is the latest Nash municipality to adopt a temporary moratorium on data centers, while Nash County is setting a public hearing date on the same subject Sept. 8th.
Nashville town council members, minus an absent Xavien Harrison, voted unanimously in favor of a moratorium at their August 4th meeting after holding the second of two public hearings that same night.

Nash County students returned to classrooms Tuesday for the 2026-2027 school year. Pictured above, Nashville Elementary student Cali Keel colors in Mrs. Hauter's class.

NASHVILLE - The case of a Nashville father, charged with second degree murder for the death of his son last year, has wrapped up in court with the father released on probation "under extraordinary mitigating factors."
Darrell Gregg Wallace, 64, of Nashville, entered an Alford plea to one count of voluntary manslaughter during a disposition hearing July 21st concerning the shooting-related death of Brandon Michael Wallace on May 6th, 2025.

Nash County's ongoing work to expand water infrastructure in the northern part of the county will be getting a boost through $13.7 million in state-awarded funds.
As announced July 21st through the office of Senator Lisa Barnes, both Nash and Franklin Counties are receiving a combined amount of more than $18 million to use for water and wastewater projects through the North Carolina State Water Infrastructure Authority, with $13.7 million designated for use on Northern Nash Water System Phase 3.

NASHVILLE - Water drainage issues along one of the town's oldest streets, Boddie Street, will hopefully be a thing of the past once three new storm sewer intakes are put in and a fourth one is reconstructed.
This year's budget includes $170,000 in Fund 40, Stormwater, for small storm sewer improvements; the town council voted to spend $139,211 of that August 4th for a two-part project.

The Graphic learned at press time that Nashville Town Councilman Xavien Harrison passed away when Harrison's family issued a public statement on the evening of August 11th.

In an attempt to make opioid overdose medications more accessible to the public, Nash County is installing newspaper-style distribution boxes at local libraries across the county.
Tia Foula, Assistant Nash County Manager who oversees planning and distribution of Nash's Opioid settlement funds, spent most of August 6th delivering and setting up the boxes, which contain naloxone, commonly referred to as 'Narcan.'

SPRING HOPE - A resident of the town's historic district is taking the town to task for what she says is misleading historic signage and a lack of a historic preservation commission.
Jeannette Bucher of 207 Hopkins Avenue, speaking at the August 3rd board of commissioners meeting, said that signage in the town's historic district was a "major factor" in the 2024 decision to buy her home, but that no historic preservation protection is actually present.

NASHVILLE- The Nash County Sheriff's Office, recently awarded $348,000 from the state to start up a Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue team, has picked out the boat they want and received county approval.
Lt. Tony Cameron spoke with Nash commissioners at their August 3rd meeting, reporting that because of his previous Highway Patrol experience during Hurricanes Floyd and Andrew, he had been put in charge of organizing the new unit, which will be able to respond nation-wide.

NASHVILLE - Two separate self-storage facilities, one in Middlesex and one north of Bailey, were approved August 3rd by county commissioners for conditional rezoning.

A six-state study of pollinators, including North Carolina, is scheduled August 21-22, 2026.
Called a "citizen science project," the study, which requires 15 minutes to complete by documenting insects that land on one plant in that time, was created by the University of Georgia.
It allows simultaneous documentation of pollinator activity over a two-day period in NC, SC,GA, FL, AL and MS.

The immortal words of John the Baptist, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", had a great deal to do with my own salvation.
While sitting on the back porch of a friend's house late one evening in 1991, I heard those words just a few days before I was saved. There was a grove of trees out behind his home. The voice seemed to come directly over top of them. Where could it be coming from?
I asked my friend "Did you hear what I heard"? Thank goodness, he did! But we had no idea where it came from since his home was out in the country.

Last week, we introduced and then began to unpack the biblical story of Cain killing his brother Abel (Gen 4:1-17), all the while maintaining a keen focus upon God's character and His justice in an attempt to gain a better understanding of why God may possibly allow evil to exist. To help keep that keen focus upon God's character and His actions in the face of evil, we made the following doctrinal observation as summarized by the Christian philosopher Elenaore Stump: "Orthodox Christian doctrine holds that persons once created are everlasting and are of infinite value.

Kingdom International Church recently recognized its oldest members. Pictured, left to right are Daisy Vick, Lorraine Thorne, Helene Moss, Irene Boone and Monroe Parker. Irene Boone is the oldest member and will celebrate her 95th birthday on August 14th.

Pictured are some members of the Nashville Willing Workers, who conducted a trash cleanup at the WL Greene School property June 20th. At far left is Donna Outerbridge, followed by Marion Cameron, Anna Deans, Edith Bullock, Brenda Neal and Carlotta Knight. Not pictured was Andre Alston. The group collected 10 bags of trash.

Nash Community College welcomed its newest member to the Board of Trustees during the board's August meeting, as Kevin Jones was officially sworn into office.
Jones, a native of Rocky Mount, brings more than a decade of experience working across local, state and federal systems in roles focused on planning, policy and community engagement. A graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, he has dedicated much of his career to expanding opportunities for individuals and strengthening communities.

The Kitty Powell Scholarship Fund was established in 1989 to provide education assistance to members of the Rocky Mount bowling community.
The scholarship namesake is Kitty Powell, long time manager of the Rocky Mount Bowling Center, and Rocky Mount USBC Hall of Fame member.
Since 1989, the Kitty Powell Scholarship Fund has awarded 184 scholarships totaling $116,900.
To be eligible for a scholarship, the recipient must be an active league bowler in the Rocky Mount Bowling Center or the child, grandchild or great- grandchild of an active bowler. Scholarships are awarded based on grades, personal essay, civic activities and letters of recommendation.

The Cpl. Suzi Sannes Detachment 1262 of The Marine Corps League presented a certificate of appreciation to the Davenport Auto Park in Rocky Mount, N.C. for "For Loyalty And Patriotism To Our Country As Exemplified By Publicly And Proudly Displaying The Flag Of The United States Of America With Honor And Dignity." L-R are Neil Nelson, President, and Gary Moore, Detachment Commandant.

Philip A. Glass and Gregor Wray to Freddie Mac SLST 2024-1 Participation Interest Trust, Federal Home Mortgage Corporation, Philip A. Glass and Bank of America, N.A.; 10387 Beaver Dam Way, Middlesex
Richard Julius Battle to Bend of the River Investments, LLC; 4558 Swift River School Road, Whitakers; $108,000
John Wilson to Ezequiel Gonzalez Turner and Zoey Gonzalez Turner; The Pines at Westridge, Block B, Lot 28

Landon Blount practices his numbers while teacher Mrs. Hauter looks on at Nashville Elementary School.

Laelynn Turner shows off her work in Mrs. Hauter's class Nashville Elementary School.

Last week, we took a family vacation. This one was a little different.
It was the first one for us as an extended family -- Holly is married and so our new son-in-law was along for the first time. He's given us no choice but to like him, so based on our vacation history, we were a little concerned for his safety -- mentally and physically.
The last time we took a family trip was back in 2024 when we did our version of European Vacation.

Superior Court Judge Timothy Wilson made a statement during a recent disposition hearing at the sentencing of a local father whose son had been struggling for years with severe mental illness issues. "It would be a manifest injustice to impose an active punishment in this case," Wilson stated, who apologized on record to Darrell Gregg Wallace, and to all his family "for the way that our state deals with people who have mental illness."
Due to the mental illness, there were many times of extreme danger imposed upon the family. The unimaginable happened one day when a father had to choose safety for the rest of his family during a severe episode.

This photo published in The Graphic on Sept. 16, 1976. Paula Bass checks the skies over Nashville as heavy rains fell in Nash County and across the state helping to alleviate a severe drought.