Recent Articles

Dear Editor:
We are quickly reaching critical mass when it comes to the national debt to gross domestic product (GDP). As I write this the national debt is 103.2 % of GDP and expanding.
Our national debt is the excess of spending over revenues each year that must be borrowed. The excess of spending over revenues is better known as the annual budget deficit. Today's national debt is the accumulation of the annual borrowings to pay for the annual budget deficit.

This photo was originally published in The Graphic on December 22, 1981. The Nashville Methodist Church presented live nativity scenes followed by a special "Birthday Party for Jesus." The re-creation of the birthday of the Christ Child included special music by adult and youth choirs and was held on the lawn in front of the church.

Guitars and Friends is a unique musical group comprised of musicians from eastern North Carolina. The core group of the band has been together for several years and is known for outstanding talent, great entertainment value, and excellent camaraderie both on and off stage. They have performed at the Down East Festival of the Arts, The Nashville Blooming Festival, and the Nash Arts Center. In addition, they can be found at a variety of private, public, and corporate venues. Boddie Noel Corporation has chosen Guitars and Friends to provide entertainment at several of their company functions.

Jennifer Leigh Coppedge and Joel Southall Hedgepeth were united in marriage on October 17, 2015 in a 5 p.m. ceremony held at Lake O'The Woods Plantation in Warrenton. The ceremony was officiated by Jefferey Hedgepeth and Chris Schank.
The bride is the daughter of Michael and Faye Coppedge of Nashville.
The groom is the son of Jeffery and Teresa Hedgepeth of Rocky Mount.

Little Lilliana, 3 months, enjoys her first Christmas parade Saturday with her dad, Frankie Hyde, and mother, Marisela Metters.

The Free Will Baptist Children's Home float promotes Peace on Earth during the Christmas Parade.

Santa Claus waves to spectators during the Christmas Parade in Middlesex Saturday.

Middlesex held its annual Christmas -N- Middlesex event Saturday featuring vendors, music and a Christmas Parade. Pictured above, the Southern Nash High School Marching Firebirds perform during the Christmas Parade.

Sherlon Page, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, is pictured with members of the Marine Corps League, Rick Thomason, Rick Ferguson, and Dave Sannes, who work to collect and distribute toys each year for children. Sherlon's office has participated in the Toys for Tots Toy Drive for the past several years as a part of her annual Office Christmas Open House located in Rocky Mount.

The Spring Hope Elementary Chorus sang Christmas carols to kick off the entertainment for the Christmas in Spring Hope event on Friday night. At the Barre Dance Academy, Gibson Memorial Methodist Church, Faith Christian School and Samaria Baptist Church's Faithful Ones also provided entertainment at the event.

Little Miss Pumpkin Madison Lee and Pumpkin Queen Victoria Moss participated in Christmas in Spring Hope events on Friday. Pictured Lee hands out candy canes to guests.

Jill Boone (right), owner of Jody's of Nashville, and Jennifer Allen display the Shop Small bags during the downtown event.

It was a beautiful sunny morning as Pastor Whitehouse welcomed Peachtree folks to church. The theme for the day, according to the Advent calendar was 'Joy'. The pastor and his wife, Marta, lit the 'Joy' candle in the advent wreath. She sang a beautiful solo titled, "Where is the Line to See Jesus?"
Pastor Whitehouse chose as his sermon topic, "Behold the Sun! Behold the Son". It was based on a scripture passage from Luke 1:78-79. [The scripture was read by Dallas Hill.} The pastor said that when we admit that we cannot save ourselves, God through his Grace lets his light shine into our hearts.

I've always imagined in the garden, back in Eden, back in the once paradise home of Adam and Eve, they felt darkness upon sinking their teeth into that fruit. I imagine they felt the darkness of not being in perfect communion with their maker as they stood before God awaiting their fate after eating the fruit.
God spoke and curses were given. First to the serpent, then Adam, then Eve. Suddenly life is chaos. Instead of perfect temperatures, perfect land, perfect trees, and perfect days - now a curse, now homelessness.

The youth and children of Red Oak Baptist Church gave a wonderful performance in their Christmas play, "Fact or Fiction: The Christmas Edition", on Sunday, December 6. The play was held in the family life center and popcorn and drinks were provided. Thank you to all who performed, planned, provided meals, and assisted with the production.
The Adult II Sunday School Class of Red Oak Baptist Church honored Tonia Taylor with a birthday party on Thursday, December 10 at South Village.

Tuesday, December 22 from 11 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. at Outback Steakhouse, 210 Gateway Boulevard
Tuesday, December 22 from 4:15 until 7:15 p.m. at Mike Keffer Chrystler Jeep Dodge Ram, 1340 S Wesleyan Boulevard, Rocky Mount
Wednesday, December 23 from 12:30 until 5 p.m. at Golden East Crossing Mall, 1100 North Wesleyan Boulevard, Rocky Mount
Monday, December 28 from 2:30 until 7 p.m. at Northside Community Church, 1660 Beaver Pond Drive, Rocky Mount

A Southern Nash High School graduate was selected to perform the flag ceremony at a Jacksonville Jaquars game last month.
PFC First Class Nicholas B. Owens, performed the flag ceremony on November 19 for the United States Marine Corps.
Owens is a 2014 graduate of Southern Nash High School. He went on to graduate from Marine Corps Training on April 10, 2015.
Owens played football for two years with the Nashville Hornets and four years of high school football as a linebacker with Southern Nash High School.

Merry Christmas Graphic Readers!
I don't have much news this week; there's a lot going on around here, but families are too busy to send me their news, and I am too busy to call for it. Sounds fair to me, so instead of the news I will share a Christmas memory with you. Oh, how wonderful you say LOL!
I have always loved Christmas Eve the best.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden recently announced a commitment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prioritize $5.6 billion over the next two years within USDA programs and services that serve new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Deputy Secretary Harden also announced a new, tailored web tool designed to connect burgeoning farm entrepreneurs with programs and resources available to help them get started.
"(The) announcement is symbolic of the evolution of USDA's efforts to better serve the next generation of farmers and ranchers," said Harden.

Thanks to a collaboration of several conservation agencies, the population of the endangered Tar River Spinymussel is growing in Fishing Creek and Little Fishing Creek in Nash and Halifax Counties, North Carolina. The partners - the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), and NC State University's College of Veterinary Medicine - have released over 8,500 individual Tar River Spinymussels into these creeks since December 2014. The mussels were bred and raised at the NC State's Aquatic Epidemiology and Conservation Laboratory and the NCWRC's Marion Conservation Aquaculture Center over the past five years.

NASHVILLE - After losing the likes of Robbi Allen and Kayla Mitchell over the past handful of years, it would be easy to think that Nash Central Middle School might not be able to continue its recent girls basketball dynasty in the Tri-County Conference.
But not so fast.
Certainly, Nash Central doesn't have its usual star-power roster under veteran head coach Minnie White this season.

NASHVILLE -- Nash Central Middle School has a new coach -- and lofty expectations -- for the 2015-16 boys basketball season.
Mark Wooten, who has served as an assistant for NCMS, has taken over the head coaching position after Kevin Leonard moved into school administration for Nash-Rocky Mount Schools.
Wooten is extremely familiar with his returning talent, which has been bolstered by an influx of talented newcomers, including transfer wing Naszir Griffin.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan College football program has announce dthat junior wide receiver Malik Adams has been named to the D3Football.com All-South Region Team.
A native of Selma, Adams garnered Second Team accolades. He attended North Johnston High School.
This is the first All-Region award for the talented Adams, who was recently named the USA South Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Not much has happened lately on the Big East Conference swimming scene, thanks in part to the Thanksgiving Holiday -- along with Rocky Mount's prolonged run in the state football playoffs.
But the Big East finally got back into the pool last Wednesday at the Harrison Family YMCA, with Rocky Mount and Wilson Fike continuing their early-campaign girls rivalry.

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash High School's boys basketball squad returned to winning form last Wednesday by securing a 47-43 home victory over non-conference opponent Corinth Holders.
With the win, the Firebirds, now 3-2 overall, finished off a regular season sweep against the Pirates.
Late in the contest, Marquise Wright scored off an offensive rebound to give the Firebirds the lead for good. Damien Bryant set up Wright's bucket with a clutch steal.