Recent Articles

NASHVILLE - In response to a local businessman's request, Nashville planning board members are grappling with adding a new ordinance to cover the use of shipping containers within town limits. Among the decisions to be made are stipulations on short-term vs. long-term use and whether the containers would be allowed within Residential zoning districts, as well as in Industrial and Business-1 districts.
Chris Sandy with Build Right Supplies appeared at the June 24 planning board meeting with the request to amend a section of current ordinance covering temporary/short-term use of storage units, to allow shipping container use under prescribed conditions.

Red Oak hosted its Annual Freedom Celebration Sunday night featuring live music, amusements, activities, food and fireworks. Pictured above, Mariam Giurgis of Raleigh, left, enjoys the slide experience with buddy Avari Wong of Minnesota.

NASHVILLE - The candidate filing period for the upcoming 2025 Municipal Elections begins this coming Monday, July 7th, at 8 a.m. and will remain open, lasting less than two weeks, to end Friday, July 18th at 12 noon.
"Each candidate will need to complete campaign finance paperwork and designate a treasurer, and the treasurer will need to complete the state's campaign finance training," John Kearney, Nash County Elections Director, said, adding that candidates may pay filing fees by credit card, debit card, check or money order.

NASHVILLE - One of Nashville's most recognizable community figures, Cliff Joyner, has been honored by the Elks Lodge #1038 at Birchwood for his many contributions to the town, including his tireless hours put in for the Blooming Festival.
Joyner, a Financial Advisor at Edward Jones and President of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, was named 2025 Flag Day Honoree in a June 25 ceremony at the Elks Lodge, receiving a commemorative framed American flag.

NASHVILLE - The fourth business at Nashville Junction to welcome customers, The Art of Fade, is open for business, offering modern mens' style grooming with time-honored, shave and hot towel techniques.
Co-owned by Alex Puente of Bailey and Elvin Cid of Zebulon, The Art of Fade has an enviable spot with front entrances to the Junction Parking lot and a large, open space with plenty of room between six barber stations. It also has a comfortable lounging spot with sofa and chairs at one end.

The Town of Castalia will host its annual Independence Day Celebration on Friday, July 4th. Most activities will be held at the community park. Food trucks and craft vendors will open at 10 a.m. The parade will take place on Main Street/Hwy 58 at 11 a.m. Street closures are from 10:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The opening ceremony will be at 3 p.m. with a welcome from Mayor James Alston, the National Anthem. The guest speaker is Judge Anthony Brown who also served as Grand Marshal.

Each year families of Wrens raise broods above the fan mounts of two ceiling fans on Larry's back porch. A parent brings food to the nest. Graphic photos by Larry Matthews

NASHVILLE - Beautiful, friendly and unassuming, "Jade," a Black Lab, has joined the ranks of the Nashville Police Department as its newest K-9, partnering with handler Officer Bryson Gibson.
While Jade may look like any other fit Labrador Retriever, Jade's training can transform her in seconds to a kind of canine superhero, when her drug detection and tracking abilities activate. Those are her specialties: Narcotics detection in vehicles and buildings, and Tracking fugitives or missing persons.

It's that birthday that comes up, but people are already talking about the next one. Twelve, 20, 29, 39, 49. People love round numbers, so everyone is more excited about next one.
America turns 249 this week. People at all levels of government have been planning for years already for the 250th. Just like people, though, we should enjoy them all.

Last week's release of inspection reports at the Pet Connection Center (Nash County Animal Shelter) absolutely made my temperature rise as I read through the many issues found.
As mentioned, many times, right here in this column - local people rolled up their sleeves back in 2010 to build a non-profit, Nash County Animal Friends of NC, to lobby and help reduce euthanizations at the Nash County Animal Shelter. The group worked tirelessly to fund and lobby for affordable spay and neuter programs.

I had quite a bit planned for today's column, however when I receive a text, such as I did right before writing this column, I can't help but reply with - "it's done."
Many readers of The Graphic are very familiar with the local Joyner family and their huge family tree with branches that go far and wide. One of its members, Bob Joyner, was Nashville's distinguished citizen many years ago.
I received the text from a young woman asking if it was too far-fetched for The Graphic to ask readers to pray for her uncle, Bennie Joyner.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on July 19, 1977. These young golfers claimed trophies for placing in Birchwood Country Club's Junior Club Championship Tournament.

NASHVILLE - Galatia A.M.E. Church, founded in 1870, was the cause for celebration June 22, receiving a mayoral proclamation for its 155th Anniversary.
"Galatia A.M.E. Church has not only been a place of worship, but also a place of leadership and progress, having been instrumental in the election of Nashville's first Black Town Council member in 1969 and continuing to support civic, educational and charitable causes throughout its history," reads the proclamation in part, as signed by Mayor Brenda Brown.

"Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness." Psalm 29:2 (NIV) Here's a truth that might surprise you: You can't actually give God glory. He already has it completely. Think about it this way. An earthly king only looks glorious when he's wearing his crown and royal robes, sitting on his throne. Take those things away, and he just looks like an ordinary person. His glory depends on external things. But God is different. He doesn't wear glory like a costume--He IS glory. Just like water is naturally wet and the sun naturally gives light, God is naturally glorious.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating July 4th. Patriotic music is always a keystone of that celebration. For example, we'll hear Lee Greenwood sing his classic, I'm Proud to be an American. It's a great one.
Many of us will also hear God Bless America. No one could sing that like the late, great Kate Smith. Many of us weren't even born when Kate Smith sung God Bless America for the first time. The song debuted in 1938 on Armistice Day (later known as Veteran's Day).

"Forrest, were you scared in Vietnam?" Jenny asked. "Yes. Well, I-I don't know. Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out... and then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou. There was always a million sparkles on the water... like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny, it looked like there were two skies one on top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the earth began. It's so beautiful."

Kevin Scarboro to Rental Investment Property, LLC; 916-918 Star Street, Rocky Mount; $7,500
Central Children's Home of North Carolina, Inc. and Red Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church to Jose Luis Juan Remigio and Marco Antonio Juan Remigio; 2.16 acres; $175,000
William Irvin Green, Angela Lynette Green, Lisa Green Smith and Angela Lynette Green to William Irvin Green, Angela Lynette Green, Lisa Green Smith and Jeffrey Lee Smith; .290 acres

Rocky Mount
JULY 7: 1:30 p.m. - 6 p.m., St. Paul Baptist Church, 1151 N. Winstead Avenue
JULY 10: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Northside Community Church, 1660 Beaver Pond Drive
JULY 14: 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Shenandoah Baptist Church, 3894 Shenandoah Road

NASH COUNTY - Seventeen animals were adopted from the Nash County Animal Shelter, also called the Pet Connection Center, during a three-hour 'Rescue and Recruit' event Saturday, June 28, while informal on-site interviews for full and part-time jobs were conducted. The event was held after the county received a 13-page report of violations from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), dated June 24.
Sixteen interviews were done for three positions, including animal control supervisor, animal control officer and Pet Connection Center attendant, according to a June 28 Facebook post by Nash County.

RALEIGH- Governor Josh Stein has signed a foster care bill sponsored by Rep. Allen Chesser into law. House Bill 612, the Fostering Care in NC Act, became law Thursday, June 26th. It is designed to speed up the process to get children in DSS custody into permanent, safe care, whether through reunification with family, kindship care, guardianship or adoption.
Representative Allen Chesser, the first primary sponsor of HB 612, said the governor's signing was the culmination of "months of work on a long-recognized needed change to our state's foster care system.

NASHVILLE - Nash County's Board of Elections has a new chairman, thanks to a state appointment.
John Check, Republican, was appointed June 24 by Dave Boliek, State Auditor and Republican, to replace Kelly Shore, Democrat; Shore will remain as a Board member.
The appointment, along with others done at the same time for all NC counties, is currently allowed but there is an ongoing legal battle over permitting the State Auditor to maintain control of state elections board appointments.

The youth and chaperones from Red Oak Baptist Church had a great time at Mfuge at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee June 16 -20. Several campers shared stories with the congregation on Sunday, June 22 during the morning worship.
Red Oak Baptist Church had a great week at "True North" Vacation Bible School! During the week of June 22 - 26 preschoolers and children through 5th grade from the community joined together for a fun week learning to Trust Jesus!