Recent Articles

NASHVILLE - Well over 300 people gathered at the O.D. Moore building in Nashville Jan. 19th for the annual MLK Banquet in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., fittingly conducted on the federal holiday set aside in King's honor.
The event, organized by the Nashville Willing Workers, included a luncheon and multiple speeches reflecting on King's ideals and how those need to be applied to struggles today.

SPRING HOPE - The town of Spring Hope, sharing results of its 2025 audit at the January town board meeting, got some glowing praise from its auditor, who described the town's financials as "very clean."
Sam Potts of Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams & Co, via live telephone call that was easily audible at the Jan. 5 meeting, went over a power point summary of the town's audit from June 2025.

NASHVILLE- - An inaugural landowner summit, well-attended with 82 people present at the Nash County Agriculture Center Jan. 9, offered attendees a volume of information about how to preserve family farmland. Presenters from Nash County, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, NC State, Working Lands Trust and a legal firm experienced in succession planning talked farmers through options for what to do and how to do it.
Farmers asked questions before, during and after the presentations.

NASHVILLE- Now that Nash County commissioners have pledged a half million dollars to pay for five additional school resource officers, the three agencies involved - the school system, Nash County Sheriffs Office, and Rocky Mount PD- are working out hiring details.
Leondus Farrow, Associate Superintendent for Nash County Public Schools, gave an update to the school board at their Jan. 8 meeting, detailing which elementary schools would be receiving new full-time officers, and which would be retaining the ones they have, previously having been split half-time between two schools.

Broderick Cande Bello, M.D., a well known family physician serving Nashville and Nash County, passed away Jan. 11, 2026.
Dr. Bello came to Nashville to serve as a physician at Boice-Willis Clinic in 2001. February would have been his 25th anniversary with the clinic.
Bello was a graduate of the University of Virginia earning both his undergraduate and medical degrees at UVA.
After serving in the US Navy, he continued to serve as an active duty medical officer and physician.

RED OAK- In order to prevent a potential flood of nuisance property complaints where those complaining don't give their names, Red Oak town officials are sticking to their guns by enforcing current policy: a complainant has to sign the nuisance complaint form.
"I've talked with Jackie (Johnson, Zoning Officer) and we need to get things cleaned up before there's a problem," said Sandra Russ, commissioner, at the Jan. 12 town council meeting.

NASHVILLE - A Spring Hope man is asking county help because his well, and those of five nearby neighbors, are no longer producing enough water - potentially because of aquifer use by one or more nearby subdivisions.
Chris Brantley of 5382 Frazier Road, off NC 97, appeared before Nash commissioners at their Jan. 5 meeting.
"Tell me what I need to do," Brantley pleaded, stating that he had fears that his well pump was going to "burn up" because it was unable to keep up with demand.

MOMEYER - Just in time to coincide with the swearing-in of re-elected commissioners, the town of Momeyer has received a favorable audit report for the fiscal year ending in June of 2025.
Jennifer Reese, auditor with the firm Creech, Edwards, Winston, Williams & Co. of Oxford, NC, did a zoom call with the town council at their Jan. 12 session, listing total town revenues as $142,206, up about $12,000 from the year before.

There are a lot of reasons to hate Artificial Intelligence (AI), and I've outlined a few here over the last year or two.
For example, it is annoying to deal with an online return and a bot that seems named by the same people who come up with the names for trendy new drugs speaks up.
"Hi, I am Morezpic and I can help. What do you need?" Then you get choices such as Order Again, Subscribe, Stop Bothering Us.

According to the forecast, we're certain to receive some unfavorable weather this weekend. Rather than a pretty winter snowfall, it seems they're leaning towards a forecast with lots of freezing rain and ice which usually causes issues including loss of power.
Though my husband loves the thought of "roughing it," finding an excuse to use his cast iron pots over an open fire - I don't think the temperatures headed our way are going to be anywhere near what we Nash County folks are used to.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on Feb. 8, 1968. Nash Central basketball players displayed their new uniforms which were purchased by the Nash Central Boosters Club. Central's basketball team was boasting a record of 13-3.

NASHVILLE- Nash County has landed grant funds to design and build an outdoor classroom at the Ag Center, for planned use both by the Cooperative Extension and by the Nash County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Nikki Stanton, Finance Officer, told commissioners at their Jan. 5 meeting that the county had been awarded $102,000 for the 2025 Tobacco Trust Fund program, which operates under the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.

Rocky Mount, NC -- The Boice Willis Clinic Endoscopy Center proudly celebrates its 20 year anniversary, marking two decades of exceptional service, clinical innovation, and unwavering commitment to patient care. Since opening on January 16, 2006, the center has become a cornerstone of gastrointestinal health for patients across Eastern North Carolina.

All my life, I was taught there was one unforgivable sin. It was if a Christian was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. But you know what? After studying the scriptures, I now realize that verse was directed to the unbelievers.
The only source by which my statement can be proven is God's Word. The truth is there is no exception to salvation in any Bible verse. For example, John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Thus far, in the cumulative case argument, we have suggested that a significant list of historical sources supports the Christian resurrection narrative. Last time, we suggested that while having more sources is almost always better, the evidence from the available sources is more than enough to justify putting forward a robust response to the three minimal bedrock facts: 1) Jesus died by crucifixion; 2) the disciples had experiences they believed to have been appearances of the risen Jesus; 3) a few years later Paul had an experience he interpreted to have been an appearance of the risen Jesus to him.

Abiding in Jesus: Our Source, Sustainer, and Life‑Giver
In a world that prizes self‑reliance, Jesus' invitation to abide sounds almost countercultural. Yet His words in John 15 remain one of the clearest pictures of what the Christian life truly is--not a project of self‑improvement, but a relationship of dependence. "I am the vine; you are the branches." With that single image, Jesus reframes discipleship as connection, not performance.

LifeWise met at Red Oak Baptist Church on Monday, Jan. 12 with over 88 students from Red Oak Elementary School participating. You can still sign up children to participate.
Women in Action of Red Oak Baptist Church met on Tuesday, Jan. 13 with 13 in attendance. Members contributed items and filled 20 backpacks for the United Community Ministries Homeless Shelter in Rocky Mount.

Mountaineer Rentals, LLC to Manuela Escalante Renteria; 5624 Hubbard Drive, Battleboro; $110,000
Cherry Lane, LLC to Paula D. Jones and Paul C. Jones; 158 Sourgum Court, Zebulon; $330,000
Robmir, Inc to Stephens Signature Homes, LLC; 1827 South Big Woods Road, Spring Hope; $62,000
Roy F. Jackson and Kathy S. Jackson to William E. Kendra and Allysa Gabriella Forrest; B.H. Bunn Heirs, Block A, Lot 1

NASHVILLE - The Nash County public school district, faced with a $773,342 deficit after its first year of offering free breakfasts and lunches to all students in every school, will be re-evaluating that course at the end of this school year.
NCPS qualified in 2024 for the NC DPI program CEP (Community Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals) to offer free meals across the board; it is now in its second year of offering the program. But while the meals were free to students, there was an unanticipated cost to the district.

RED OAK - By unanimous vote, the Red Oak town council has punted a conditional rezoning request for a 67-lot subdivision back to the town planning board, citing "safety concerns."
The 98-acre parcel, planned to house the "Doughtie Subdivision" should it be developed by Marvin Shearin, is currently zoned Agricultural, but the rezoning request would change it to RM, or Residential Mix. The parcel, owned by Peggy Doughtie of Bethel, is south of E. Castalia Road.

SPRING HOPE - Eight days after a vote taken in closed session, the town of Spring Hope has announced that Town Manager Andrew DeIonno is being suspended with pay until the end of his contract in April; DeIonno's last day on the job will be this Friday, Jan. 16.
A press release issued Jan. 13 from the law offices of Fields & Cooper, PLLC, the town's legal firm, stated that the board of commissioners voted 3-2 to take action to remove DeIonno from his position during the closed session held during their Jan. 5 meeting.