Recent Articles

SHARPSBURG - Three people are dead, one of those a child, and two more hospitalized after an apparent murder-suicide series of events that began in Sharpsburg, Wilson County, early Sunday morning and ended up in Battleboro.
Both the Nash County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) and the Wilson County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) have issued press releases with partial details from an ongoing death investigation begun August 11.
Kiera Massenburg, 27, and DaQuan Jones, 32, who lived together at 1301 Leggett Road, Apt. 49, Rocky Mount, died Sunday.

NASHVILLE - Six months after getting town approval to begin an "Officer-in-Training" program at the Nashville Police Department, that tree has borne fruit, with Officer Blanca Gonzalez sworn in June 21.
Gonzalez, originally from San Diego, California and a resident of Bailey with her husband, Justino Benitez and two children, is the first NPD officer to be hired through the program, which paid her a basic salary and provided school fees, books, supplies and training gear while she was at BLET (Basic Law Enforcement Training) at Wilson Community College.

Tropical Storm Debby has come and gone, but her damages are still visible, particularly in Wilson, Franklin, Sampson, Pender and Greene counties, where tornadoes took one life in Lucama, damaged several homes and a middle school.
Debby arrived early Thursday, August 8, bringing heavy rains, and high winds along with tornadoes and creating high water and flash flooding in many locations.

NASHVILLE - Pending final attorney approval, a New York-based company that is set to move into Nashville's Industrial Center is about to sign on the dotted line for tax incentives from both the town of Nashville and Nash County.
BuildLabs, a custom design + build firm which carried the code name "Project Lego" while still an unrealized economic development target, will be building its first U.S. manufacturing facility on Lot 4 of Nashville's Business Center, located at 101 Industry Court.

MOMEYER - As part of an ongoing effort to improve communications with town residents, the Momeyer town council has voted to purchase camera equipment for the purpose of recording town council meetings to post to YouTube.
The board voted 3-1 at its August 12 meeting to authorize Mayor Will Funderburg to price a camera, initially estimated between $60 and $200, to be mounted in the council meeting room for the purpose of recording meetings. Edward Jackson, councilman, cast the lone "no" vote.

NASHVILLE - Nashville Parks and Recreation Center, located at 200 S. Boddie Street, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Aug. 12 at its new digs, formerly the Acme Cleaners, treating the approximately 45 guests with hot dogs, chips and a drink in celebration.

Nashville is planning a redesign of its website to make it more user-friendly, and is looking for public suggestions and comments. Lou Bennett, town clerk, said input is being sought from department heads, council members and the general public in order to make the website, which has not been updated since 2016, more streamlined and with less redundant information. A link to a brief survey about the website is accessible on the town's page, townofnashville.com

RED OAK - Red Oak Zoning Officer Jackie Johnson is being lauded by her town for winning a scholarship from the North Carolina Association of Zoning Officials.
Levell Langley, Red Oak Mayor, shared the good news at the August 12 town council meeting, relaying that Johnson had been chosen to receive $1,000, to be spent on courses and training certifications of her choice.

NASHVILLE - The town of Nashville has approved an amendment to its Glover Park Interlocal Agreement with Nash County to add quarterly meetings for the purpose of avoiding duplication of athletic programs - but the agreement revision is contingent on Nash Arts coming under the umbrella of Nash County Parks and Recreation.
With a vote to the contrary by Nash Arts, that's not likely to happen.

SPRING HOPE - The paperwork is complete for Spring Hope's "51st National" Pumpkin Festival, with the event license received by the Board of Commissioners August 5.
The event permit, completed by Chamber of Commerce Treasurer Claris Bissette, names the date as Saturday, Oct. 5 from 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

The strangest thing came in the mail this week: a catalog for Montgomery Ward.
I thought maybe the wrapper was a joke or a spoof or some kind of attention getter. After all, this place has been out of business for decades, right?
The mailer accomplished its purpose. I flipped through it and then checked the internet.
The company declared bankruptcy in the late 1990s and closed the last of its stores in 2001. That's where I got the idea that they had bitten the dust.

The Spring Hope Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for its 51st Pumpkin Festival. For those of you, like myself, who grew up in Nash County, you probably recall in our younger years the excitement and anticipation every year around mid-September knowing the Pumpkin Festival was just around the corner.
The festival has been Spring Hope's claim to fame for many years boasting the importance of fall agriculture with the pumpkin weigh-in having national ties. The event rolls out the red carpet full of family based activities, streets adorned with local vendors and a half-century tradition of the Pumpkin Festival parade.

This photo published on Sept. 10, 1953 in The Nashville Graphic. The lettermen of Nashville High School's football team were (left to right) Jimmy Smith, Tommy Evans, Ray Joyner, Ronald Sykes, Phillip Chappell, Robert Pridgen, Tommy Nelms and Jimmy Womble.

Larceny misdemeanor reported at 10601 E NC 97, Rocky Mount on 8/7/24
Larceny felony reported at 1378 Brooke Lane, Nashville on 8/7/24
Domestic disturbance reported at 171 Sanctified Church Rd., Nashville on 8/7/24
Larceny felony reported at 2018 Bedfordshire Rd., Nashville on 8/6/24

INCIDENTS
Obtain property by false pretense reported at 213 E. Cedar St., Nashville on 8/5/24
Larceny misdemeanor at 800 E. Washington St., Nashville on 8/5/24
Receive/possession stolen property less than $1,000; possession of stolen vehicles reported at 501 W. Washington St., Nashville on 8/8/24

SPRING HOPE - The bathrooms at the Spring Hope Park now have new combination locks, with plans underway to distribute keys or codes and delegate their opening and closing to parks and rec employees.
"They're being kept locked unless there is a scheduled event," said Andrew DeIonno, town manager, who referenced recent vandalism during daylight hours to one or more bathroom sinks.