NASHVILLE - Nash County has followed the lead set by several of its municipalities, adopting a temporary development moratorium on data centers, beginning immediately.
The stated purpose of the moratorium - which will last either until June 30, 2027 or until the county adopts new zoning regulations addressing data centers as part of its Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) - is to "allow time for the county to sufficiently study the challenges and impacts presented by these types of facilities, including: high electricity consumption;

NASHVILLE - Two proposed nuisance abatement resolutions coming before the Nashville town council were derailed either partially or completely September 1st after spirited opposition and a suddenly-called closed session for the purpose of legal consultation.
In both cases, property owners claimed that town officials had not followed proper procedure, also alleging illegal trespassing by code enforcement.

Allison Griffin, NC State University Senior and Intern at Nashville's Parks and Rec Department, stands with Koy Worrell, Parks and Rec Director, as the two speak to council members about a Recreational Trails grant application.

NASHVILLE - One day after Nashville's Parks and Rec Dept got town approval to apply for a $100,000 grant to develop trails at Stoney Creek Environmental Park, word came through from the Governor's office that the town had landed another environmental grant for half a million dollars.
A Sept. 3rd press release from the office of Governor Josh Stein stated that nearly $10 million had been awarded to 25 county and municipal applicants from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

NASHVILLE - Two "viable" sites for construction of a potential Southern Nash Wastewater Treatment Plant have been confirmed by NCDEQ, with both sites located in between where NC 581 crosses the Tar River and the Tar River Reservoir.
Jonathan Boone, Deputy Nash County Manager, gave what he said was "good news" during his Deputy Manager report at the Sept. 8th Nash Board of Commissioners' meeting.

NASHVILLE - Nash County Public School officials literally stood and applauded their record-breaking end of year school performance grades at the Sept. 3rd board of education meeting.
"Ninety-one percent of our schools met or exceeded growth, while the percentage of schools earning a C or higher reached the highest level in district history; now we have only two low-performing schools in this district," said Steven Ellis, Superintendent, among other remarks.

ROCKY MOUNT - Happening amidst a bustling Saturday morning Farmer's Market, the presentation of a $308,000 check from the North Carolina General Assembly, secured by Senator Lisa Barnes, is going to start the ball rolling on three planned market projects: a standalone General Store, the installation of a full kitchen, and a community garden across the street. In addition, some of the monies will bolster the Farmers' Market 'double bucks' program.
"This place has a very special meaning," Barnes said, adding that it was part of the Barnes family heritage.

The annual Heroes Field of Honor ceremony will be held Friday, Sept. 11th at 5:30 p.m. at 1114 First St., Nashville (on the Fellowship Church grassy lot.)
Two-hundred fifty flags have flown since last Thursday. You can sponsor a flag to honor your special hero for $50. A 3" x 5" photo card and information will be placed on the pole for the Sept. 11th ceremony. Honorees include military, police, firefighters, medical first responders, teachers and other heroes you may wish to honor. You may pick up your flag after the ceremony.

NASHVILLE - The problem of grass clippings entering Nashville's stormwater system, particularly in the case of contractors working near the highway 64 intersection, has resulted in a new civil penalty of $50 for repeat offenders.
Shawn Lucas, planning director, addressing the council Sept. 1st, initially proposed a $100 civil penalty after learning of the problem from Walter Manning, environmental compliance officer; Manning said there had been repeated calls about mowing contractors blowing grass clippings into the street, particularly from commercial properties.

NASHVILLE - What could have been a new use for the W.L. Greene School property - as the site of affordable housing - has fizzled with Nash County's withdrawal as a potential property purchaser.
"Staff has evaluated the opportunity for Nash County to acquire the former W.L. Greene Middle School property and after careful consideration does not recommend acquisition of the property," said Jonathan Boone, deputy county manager at the Sept. 8 Nash Board of Commissioners' meeting.

RED OAK - The Red Oak Area Rotary (ROAR) Club, which recently installed new officers, has also taken in members of another local club - Nash-Rocky Mount- which reportedly dropped its charter due to low membership.
Sherri Williams, 2025-2026 president, reporting to the Red Oak town council at their August 10th meeting, said that the Red Oak club merged with Nash-Rocky Mount officially on June 1st. She said seven members joined from the merger, and that other new members had come on board, bringing Red Oak membership to about 54 total.

ROCKY MOUNT - The Boys & Girls Club of the Tar River Region is a large step closer to being able to transform the former National Guard Armory on Walnut Street into a workforce development center; the Club received a $250,000 check August 24th from Rep. Allen Chesser which he secured through this year's state budget.
"We are incredibly grateful to Representative Chesser and our state leaders for recognizing the importance of this project and investing in opportunities for our young people," said Ron Green, Boys & Girls Club CEO, relating that the major investment would be used for 'Project Dream' to "create a space where our teens can develop the skills, confidence and experiences they need to succeed."

The Nash Central High School Class of 1966 commemorated its 60th class reunion on Saturday, Sept. 5th at Northgreen Country Club. Pictured, bottow row: Vivian Battle, Ella Lynch, Mary Jones, Ruby Winstead. 2nd row up: Carrie Marlee Hinton, Dorothy Lucas, Ted Davis, Sheila Lloyd, Carrie Thompson. 3rd row: Mary M. Arrington, Mattie Curtis, Robert Humphrey, Willie Smith. 4th Row: Dan Whitehead, Fred Rogers, Oscar Battle, Robert Jackson, Zebedee Thorne, Morris Roberson.

NASHVILLE - A 34-year-old Battleboro man is in jail with no bond, charged with the attempted murder of his estranged wife.
Robert Earl Williams III of 6c Drew Hills Court, Battleboro, was arrested August 26th by the Nash County Sheriff's Department, ten days after an incident on NC 48, in the Drake community of Battleboro.
Deputies responded to a report of a "disturbance and shots fired" Sunday, August 16th, at 5845 NC48, an August 27th NCSO press release stated.

Darryl B. Hartley and Denise B. Hartley to John B. Langston II and Fabiola Caceres Langston; Birchwood Homes Subdivision, Block J, Lot 5
Scott T. Hamilton and Hilda W. Hamilton to Ian Brooks and Kristine Collier; Belmont Farms, Block B, Lot 5
Adventures, LLC and Guckavan Enterprises, LLC to Enrique Sosa Gonzalez; 1.665 acres, Middlesex; $65,000
Robert L. Bryan and Kelly W. Bryan to Joshua Schneller and Isabella Schneller; 1095 Poplar Creek Road, Nashville; $462,000

In May of 1991, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I'll never forget the sense of joy and peace that came with that decision. Finally, I began to have some sense of hope in my life. I was beginning to believe that everything was going to turn out okay.
Six weeks later, I LOST MY JOB! I was one of the last persons to whom you would ever think such a thing would happen.
Even as I write this today, I want to stand up and defend myself because I had been taught if you get a good education, are willing to work a little harder that the next guy, and obey the rules, the sky was the limit. But instead of being on top of the world, I seemed to have ended up on the bottom.

In 1859, Charles Darwin changed how people viewed themselves and their place in the universe by setting forth his theory of evolution in his famous work, On the Origin of Species. Darwin proposed that all living creatures, including man, are descendants of some ancient primordial form of life that developed and differentiated through a selection mechanism. Darwin theorized that mutations occur within any given species, creating slight changes over time. Most often, these mutations are not beneficial and are not passed on to the next generation, while other mutations are deemed detrimental and are therefore considered a hindrance.

The Nash County Public Schools Federal Programs Department recently partnered with Freedom Industries of Rocky Mount to host a backpack drive benefiting families served through the district's McKinney-Vento Program.
Through the support of Freedom Industries, backpacks were filled with essential school supplies, including crayons, paper, water bottles, earbuds, pencil boxes, and other items to help students begin the school year prepared for success. A total of 315 students benefited from this community initiative.

It's a Time in the Land, and I'm starting to think that Time might be short.
I can't turn on the television on without hearing a drug advertisement that includes these lines:
1. Consult your doctor before taking this medicine.
2. Don't take this medicine if you are allergic to it.
3. Make sure your doctor knows your conditions before taking these medicines.

While searching for Backward Glances photo negatives, I seemed to have hit the jackpot a couple of weeks ago. Tucked deep in one of the boxes was an envelope packed with photo negatives from the 1976 Spring Hope Pumpkin Festival. We will continue to publish some of these never before seen photographs in The Graphic's Backward Glances to celebrate the upcoming festival.
I vividly recall the Pumpkin Festivals during the mid 70s. My oldest sister, who was 17 years older than me, lived in Spring Hope and always found the perfect spot for parade viewing.

This photo was found in The Nashville Graphic's 1976 archives. The photo was taken at the Spring Hope Pumpkin Festival Parade.