By:
Michele A. Cruz, Graphic Correspondent
The Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (NRMS) board finalized their approval of five financial amendments at their meeting Monday night, which brings the system’s total current fund balance down to $2.54 million. The board initially voted unanimously to approve the amendments at their retreat last month.
The system’s 2012-13 budget included $1.5 million from available fund balance, Susan Blackwell, NRMS finance officer told The Graphic.
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three suspects in connection with a home invasion that ocurred on January 27 just outside of Nashville.
The suspects allegedly broke into a home on the 3800 block of Old White Oak Road just before 9 p.m. The suspects shot Latron Richardson, 21, and injured his 28-year-old girlfriend and a child.
DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE –– Kaileigh Lee dances with her father, Scott Lee, at the annual Daddy Daughter Sweetheart Dance held Saturday night at the Nash County Ag Center. The dance is organized and sponsored by the Nash County Parks and Recreation Department. According to organizers 480 people attended this year’s event.
By:
Amanda Clark, Graphic Staff Writer
Spring Hope Commissioners expressed their desire to keep the Pumpkin Festival alive at their regular meeting on Monday night.
The issue was brought up by Commissioner Nancy Walker at the close of the board’s meeting. Walker questioned whether the board had anything to do with the festival.
By:
Amanda Clark, Graphic Staff Writer
Nash County Commissioners disagreed on Monday about where to appropriate over $1 million that was sent from Sanderson Farms for reimbursement of costs incurred while trying to bring a new plant to the county.
Lynn Hobbs, Finance Director, brought the item before commissioners on Monday during the regular board meeting. The item was presented as a budget amendment.
By:
Amelia Harper, Graphic Correspondent
Newly-installed Governor McCrory came to Rocky Mount last Thursday to speak at the 109th Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce. The event took place on January 31 at the Business and Industry Center of Nash Community College. Several state and local government officials were in attendance, including NC Senators Buck Newton and Angela Bryant and Representatives Collins, Richardson, and Tolson.
By:
Amanda Clark, Graphic Staff Writer
The Town of Nashville is continuing to pursue recruiting an advanced medical center and is reaching out for help.
The town is looking at hiring a consultant to help in its recruitment efforts, which began several years ago. At the board’s annual retreat in 2010, council members discussed the idea and decided to let staff make initial contact with health care facilities to see if there was an interest in coming to Nashville.
By:
Michele A. Cruz, Graphic Correspondent
This school year, all schools and school systems will be awarded a performance number score and corresponding letter grade earned as part of the state’s annual report card under the new law, Excellent Public Schools Act (NC House Bill 950, Part 7A). The Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (NRMS) board and administration expressed their disagreement and concerns with the law at their annual retreat earlier this month.
By:
Michele A. Cruz, Graphic Correspondent
The Excellent Public Schools Act (NC House Bill 950, Part 7A) not only sets out a grading system for schools and school systems, but also includes reading readiness and teacher excellence components.
The law’s NC Read to Achieve (NCRA) program tests and addresses reading proficiency beginning in kindergarten, starting in 2013-14. The law specifies that those who cannot read at grade level in third grade must be retained.
By:
Amanda Clark, Graphic Staff Writer
Compared to other municipalities, the Town of Nashville is in good financial shape, the town’s auditor told council members last week during the board’s annual retreat.
Dale Place, of May and Place, PA, presented a brief audit report to council members at the start of their two-day retreat, which began on Monday, January 28.
By:
Michele A. Cruz, Graphic Correspondent
Nash County’s financial officer, Lynne Hobbs, opened Nash County’s board of commissioners’ annual retreat last month with an overview of the county’s finances, including a mid-year budget report, projections for next fiscal year, and capital improvement projections.
Hobbs, who has been the county’s financial officer for 18 years, thanked the county commissioners for all they have done to “keep Nash County a very sound financial organization.”
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Graphic Sportswriter
RED OAK -- Coach Rick Ruffin hasn’t been greedy when assessing goals this season for his young Northern Nash High School boys basketball squad.
While Ruffin would love to see his team win every game, he has set a simple target -- to qualify for the Class 3-A State Playoffs.
ROCKY MOUNT -- Nash Central went one for two during its rivalry showdown last Thursday against basketball rival Rocky Mount.
But the one certainly was huge as the Lady Bulldogs were able to earn an elusive victory over the always-strong RM squad.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Graphic Sportswriter
RED OAK -- At the beginning of the season, five foes stood in the way of Northern Nash’s potential perfect campaign in the Big East Conference girls basketball standings.
But the list of clubs hoping to vanquish the Lady Knights continues to diminish.
Northern is only two victories away from finishing its league slate with an unblemished mark.
RED OAK -- Northern Nash High School’s 2013 baseball schedule will begin Feb. 27 with a home game against the Bunn Wildcats.
First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. on the NN campus.
The Knights’ complete ledger is as follows, with home events listed in CAPS:
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Graphic Sportswriter
RED OAK -- On a day when Red Oak Middle School honored its undefeated 2005 boys basketball team, the Tigers made even more history.
Eight years after that powerful squad, the Tigers repeated those undefeated heroics by capping off their 2012-13 campaign with a perfect record -- and a Tri-County Conference Championship.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Graphic Sportswriter
LOUISBURG -- Softball may have been Kristen Shuford’s first love, but volleyball eventually won her heart.
Shuford grew up playing fast-pitch softball in Nashville -- and she continued to enjoy the sport as part of the always-successful program at Nash Central High School.
At the same time, Shuford joined the NCHS spike squad, where she had an exceptional career under Coach Frank Poyer.
Red Oak’s Tyshawn Davis (left) soars and scores for the Tigers during Monday’s season-ending home victory against the Southern Nash Cobras.
By:
DAVE BUCK, Correspondent
RALEIGH -- The Carolina Hurricanes have a 3-4 record after seven games of this lockout-shortened National Hockey League season.
The three wins include two against the Buffalo Sabres, on a home-and-home series, and one against the tough Ottawa Senators.
LAGRANGE, GA. -- Senior Samantha Urquhart has become the 11th women’s basketball player in North Carolina Wesleyan College history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career.
Urquhart accomplished the notable feat with a team-high 19 points last Saturday at Piedmont, and then began her climb up the all-time scoring list with 17 points in Sunday’s thrilling 89-86 come-from-behind win over LaGrange.
LOS ANGELES -- Christian Buffaloe, a 13- year-old local Kyokushin youth fighter, recently gained second Place in the youth division(12-13 years) of the “2013 Kyokushin USWC Championship Tournament”in Los Angeles, California.
There were competitors from Japan, Poland, the Ukraine, Romania, Australia, Serbia, Tunisia, Russia, Canada and the USA.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Graphic Sportswriter
RED OAK -- With retirement looming in six years, the timing was right for Dan Richwalski to make some changes with his life.
After a health scare during Christmas Break, Richwalski understood that he needed to cut back on his hectic schedule at Northern Nash High School.
ROCKY MOUNT -- North Carolina Wesleyan College’s baseball squad opened its 2013 season last Saturday at Bauer Field, dropping a pair of contests to Eastern Mennonite University.
EMU’s Daniel Stanley tossed a 3-0 shutout in the opener, while the Bishops came up short in game two’s comeback bid, 4-3.
ROCKY MOUNT -- Despite boasting a young roster, the Rocky Mount Academy swim team has enjoyed a strong 2012-13 campaign.
That season will be capped on Feb. 19 with a trip to Greensboro to participate in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 1/2-A State Meet.
HAVING A BALL. (L to R) Southern Nash’s Moises Gonzalez and Carlos Leon received trophy balls on January 27 to commemorate their selections on the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association Class 3-A All-State Team. This was the first time ever that SN has boasted an All-Stater in soccer -- let alone two.
