Recent Articles

Rocky Mount
5/28/2024: 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Environmental Services Building, 1221 Thorpe Road
5/31/2024: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Braswell Memorial Library, 727 North Grace Street

RALEIGH - The economic impact of North Carolina's agriculture and agribusiness industry jumped to $111.1 billion, posting a second straight year of strong growth at nearly $8 billion Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced last week.
"With last year's increase of $10 billion, that represents over $18 billion in growth since 2022 when we were coming out of a pandemic and some challenging economic times," Troxler said at the opening of the 2024 Got to Be NC Festival.

NASHVILLE - Long-time former Nashville Town Councilwoman Louise Hinton has been cleared of all charges relating to her November 2023 criminal summons for a misdemeanor charge of violating privacy of employee criminal records.
Hinton was served December 1, 2023, for an alleged offense September 26, 2023, in which Hinton was accused of allowing her son, Jeff Hinton, "to read and keep a packet containing information regarding an ongoing internal investigation between the plaintiff and another employee," according to court records.

NASHVILLE - Two principal positions, twenty-eight K-12 teacher jobs and twenty-three teacher assistant jobs are on the chopping block in Nash County schools as a result of declining enrollment, a decreased budget and loss of schools.
A Board of Education special called meeting at 12 noon Friday, May 10, was held remotely, with the public given to chance to view the meeting via livestreaming on You Tube.

NASHVILLE - Good weather, festival food, vendors, carnival rides along with back-to-back bands kept visitors busy in downtown Nashville last weekend during the 26th Annual Nashville Blooming Festival.
The event, organized by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, brought thousands of people to the town on Mother's Day weekend. Organizers were still calculating attendance at press time but anticipate at least 30,000 people visited Nashville over the four-day event.

The Sudan Animated Animals visit with parade spectators bringing huge grins to all ages.

MOMEYER - The Town of Momeyer is cutting its property tax rate from 13 cents to 9 cents per $100 valuation, which is a 25% reduction that keeps the town 'revenue neutral.'
The new proposed rate will be presented along with the FY2025 budget at an upcoming special town meeting, set Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. for the purpose of providing a mandatory public hearing prior to a vote on final budget adoption.

NASHVILLE - Nash County Public Schools (NCPS) honored its educators' achievements during the 2024-2025 Educator of the Year Awards, held May 8 at the Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount.
"We are incredibly proud to honor these educators who not only demonstrate exceptional skill and dedication but also inspire and shape the futures of our students," said a district spokesperson.

NASHVILLE - The Town of Nashville has missed its annual audit reporting deadline, but officials are due to receive the report at their June 4 council meeting.
Tressa Rudd, Nashville Finance Director, reported April 16 that the Town had received notice from the Local Government Commission that its FY-23 audit submission was late and had not been received as of the April 1 submission date. She said the old auditor had left.

One man and one boy are under investigation by Nashville Police after a shooting incident in an area adjacent to Saturday night's Blooming Festival.
Officers working security for the Festival reported hearing shots fired at 8:10 PM in the area behind the Jail, on Vale Street. Officers gave chase and detained two individuals seen fleeing the area on foot.

CASTALIA - Castalia's proposed FY 24-25 budget will include a $1 increase in its sanitation rates.
Sanitation fees are proposed to go from $25 to $26 per month, Mayor James Alston told commissioners last Tuesday night at the board's regular meeting. The town contracts with GFL Environmental, Inc. for its sanitation collection.

An April traffic stop on Raleigh Road, Rocky Mount, ended in the arrest of a 34-yearold convicted felon on multiple charges involving possession of drugs and guns.
Clarence Borum of Smith Street, Rocky Mount, is currently in jail under a $400,000 secured bond according to a news release from the Nash County Sheriff's Office.
Borum, driving a white Cadillac Deville, was stopped at the intersection of the Raleigh Road and Westwood Drive April 23 and was found to be operating with a suspended driver's license.

A 29-year-old Rocky Mount man will be serving eight years in federal prison after a high-speed chase in January 2023 where a child and puppy were in the car along with drugs and guns.
Chi-Ali Bunn of 5893 Autry Road, Rocky Mount, plead guilty in September 2023 to possession of an unmarked short-barreled rifle and was sentenced this month, according to a news release from the Nash County Sheriff's Office, which was involved in the case along with Wake County and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Effective July 1, five school principals will be taking the reins at six different schools as a result of demerger changes within Nash County Public Schools.
Quintin Mangano, Principal at Nashville Elementary, will become the new Principal at Bailey Elementary.
Darsheka "Tiffany" Hopkins, current Principal at D.S. Johnson Elementary, will become the new Principal at Nashville Elementary.

Assault with a deadly weapon; damage to personal property reported at 10762 Liles Rd., Bailey on 5/9/24
Larceny felony reported at 123 Cary St., Nashville on 5/11/24
Damage to personal property; motor vehicle theft; breaking and entering auto, larceny from auto reported at 1897 Sheldon Rd., Bailey on 5/5/24