Recent Articles

Nash Central’s Houshun Gaines (right) soars for a rebound last Friday against Rocky Mount.

Lane Massey, 13, a student at Southern Nash Middle School, recently won the North Carolina Motorsports Park Nite-X Series Championship for the 2013 campaign. The event consisted of 13 races at NCMP in Henderson. Massey was the winner in the 85 CC 12-15 and 9-13 Dirt Bike Divisions.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The Harrison Family YMCA’s Bronze, Silver and Gold Gymnastics Teams had much success at the Judge’s Critique Clinic in Raleigh and The Gala in Asheville.   
“As a coach, all you can truly ask of your team is to strive to be better week in and week out,” says Kristy Harper, Harrison Family YMCA’s Gymnastics Coordinator.

We had a good attendance at Beulah Church of Christ on Sunday morning and several visitors. We would like to thank you for worshiping with us and pray we will see you again real soon. You are always welcome at Beulah. Sunday school began at 9:45. It was opened by Earl Cary with Frances Hedgepeth at the piano. Earl welcomed everyone and made an update on some of our sick members along with several other announcements.

Sunday dawned as a beautiful sunshiny day.  The sunshine was so welcomed after the rough storm that passed through the area on Saturday.  There were strong straight-lined winds and torrential rain. Many people lost electrical power for a prolonged period, but there was no loss of life.  Property damage was minimal.  We were so blessed.

All teacher assistants who were laid off at the end of last school year in Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (NRMS) have been given opportunities to return to the school system.
As of January 2, the 37 assistants who were let go due to the reduction in force (RIF) policy have been contacted and offered employment, NRMS assistant superintendent Thomas Crabtree reported to the board at their work session last week. Of these 37, he said, 26 accepted employment offers, 10 declined, and one is on educational leave.

A Middlesex man was charged with shooting two Spring Hope men, one fatally, on Saturday night.
Johnston County Deputies responded to the shooting around 8 p.m. on Saturday on Barnes Lake Road in Middlesex.
Deputies found Darrick Hagans, 18, and Kwami Jones, 19, both of Spring Hope with gunshot wounds. Hagans died at the scene and Jones was transported to Wake Medical Center in Raleigh.

A Sandy Cross area  man was arrested on Sunday night and charged with a string of armed robberies that have occurred in Wilson, Rocky Mount and Nash County over the past few months.
Logan Scott Farmer, 23, of Farmer’s Lane, Elm City, (near Sandy Cross) was arrested Sunday night after robbing the Pit Stop on West Mount Drive. A citizen who saw Farmer running out of the store with a rifle followed his vehicle on South Old Carriage Road, where Farmer wrecked the vehicle and fled on foot.

Linda Ripke and Ronnie Ezzell will once again serve as emcees at the 36th annual Elsie Clark Memorial Nashville Opry.
The two have been emceeing, and performing, at the event for many years, said BPW member Mary Wells.
“They’ve both been with us for years,” she said.
This year’s event is set for January 25 from 5:30 until 10 p.m. at Nash Arts.

Local authorities are searching for a man who robbed the PNC Bank in Spring Hope on Friday afternoon.
According to Spring Hope Police Chief Tim Denton, a man walked into the bank around 1:40 p.m. on Friday, January 10 and allegedly demanded money.
“He was armed with a handgun,” Denton said. “He displayed a handgun, demanded money.”

Linda Woolard will be the guest speaker at the 11th annual Martin Luther King celebration in Nashville.
The event is hosted each year by the Nashville Willing Workers and is held at the O.D. Moore Building on Alston Street.
Carolyn Williams, President of the Willing Workers, said Braswell Milling and area churches are sponsoring this year’s event.

Nash Health Care Systems is expected to budget for a roughly 5 million dollar loss in overall operation income in the 2014 fiscal year, CFO Al Hooks said Wednesday at the January meeting of the Nash Health Care Board of Directors.
“Preparing this budget has been humbling experience,” Hooks said. He plans to present the entire budget for approval at the next board meeting to be held in February.

Richard Lucas was a man well known for many things in the community. To some, he was their driver’s education teacher. To others, he was the one who officiated their athletic games growing up. Today, many know Lucas for his Nashville business. But for everyone that knew Lucas, they would all say he’s a man that will forever be remembered.
Lucas passed away on Sunday, January 5 at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 86 years old.

INCIDENTS
A hit and run was reported on 1/6/14 at 206 Barnes Street
A larceny (shoplifting) was reported on 1/6/14 at Dollar General, 800 E Washington Street
A damage to property and assault with a deadly weapon was reported on 1/7/14 on Regency Drive

A narcotics violation was reported on 1/6/14 at 2012 Stone Rose Drive
A larceny of a post hole digger was reported on 1/6/14 at 11306 Old Lewis School Road
A narcotics violation was reported on 1/6/14 at 8939 Mill Branch Road
A breaking, entering and larceny of a residence was reported on 1/7/14 at 2212 Wiley Road

The Nash County Health Department is encouraging citizens to get flu shots, as flu deaths continue to rise across the state.
On Monday, North Carolina reported the state’s first child death from flu for the 2013-2014 season. The Department of Health and Human Services  (DHHS) reported that the infant in the eastern region died on January 13 because of complications associated with influenza. The infants hometown is not being released.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will conduct a public hearing on proposed changes to the state’s wildlife management, game lands and fishing regulations on Thursday, Jan. 23, in Rocky Mount.
 The public hearing, which begins at 7 p.m., will be held in Brown Auditorium at Nash Community College.  The Wildlife Resources Commission also has scheduled a staff presentation 30 minutes before the hearing to discuss statewide black bear management objectives.

The Benvenue Alumni Association Scholarship at Nash Community College, was recently awarded to Jenna Greene of Rocky Mount. Greene is pursuing a degree in the college’s Early Childhood Education program. Nash Community College is accepting applications for the Benvenue Alumni Association scholarship until March 15, 2014. The scholarship fund reflects the alumni’s commitment to education and their belief in preparing the citizens of the Nash/Rocky Mount area to meet the community’s need for a skilled workforce.

Rebecca Winstead, a Freshman Nursing major of Nashville, was among approximately 1,450 Bob Jones University students who were named to the Fall 2013 Dean’s List.
To qualify for the Dean’s List, students must earn a 3.0 grade point average.

Nashville residents are among those named to Edgecbome Community College’s President’s and Dean’s List for the Fall 2013 semester.
Cassie Jeans and Mary Warwick of Nashville were named to the President’s List for the Fall 2013 semester. These full-time students earned a 4.0 grade point average.

The Town of Nashville is reapplying for a grant that will help redevelop Boddie Street.
Council members unanimously approved reapplying for the USDA Rural Enterprise Business Grant at the regular board meeting last Tuesday.
The town applied for the grant last year but wasn’t selected. Town Manager Preston Mitchell said, in separate interview, they were encouraged to reapply for the $75,000 grant.

The Nash County Communications Department is preparing for a shortfall in its budget, as five 911 telecommunicators have resigned over the past six months, forcing more overtime among full-time workers.
Nash County Emergency Services Director Brian Brantley brought the issue before Nash County Commissioners last Monday morning at the board’s regular meeting. Brantley requested close to $54,000 in additional funding to cover the projected shortfall.

Nash County Commissioners approved funding for ammunition for the Sheriff’s Department last Monday during the board’s regular meeting.
Nash County Sheriff Dick Jenkins told commissioners that the sidearm currently used by the Sheriff’s Office, a Smith and Wesson 357, has the potential to malfunction. Nash County has been using the weapons since 2008, Jenkins said but found out from the company that some of the weapons had malfunctioned during training.

Construction should soon begin on the Castalia Park, as $400,000 in grant monies has been awarded to the  town for the project. The grants include a $200,000 state PARTF grant as well as a $200,000 federal Land and Water Conservation grant. The town is currently raising $26,000 to complete the needed funds for Phase I of the project.

Air Force Airman Shawn T. Willoughby graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.