Recent Articles

Spring Hope's draft budget for fiscal year 2023-24 holds the line on both revenue increases and expenditures.
"No proposed increases in tax rate. No proposed increase in water and sewer rates," said Town Manager Andrew Delonno in presenting the $2.2 million budget plan to town commissioners during their monthly meeting on Monday.

Nashville resident Eric Jones poses with his 1988 Chevy S-10 at the second annual Spring Hope Car Show held last weekend. Jones competes in pro street contests defined by big engines and wide tires. He said he doesn't have other hobbies and drives the truck around Nashville a lot so a lot of people probably recognize it. He hauls it to most shows though, because the souped-up truck only gets 10 miles to the gallon of gas.

I write in honor of a rescuer of many Nash's pets. Suzanne Murray was featured March 9, 2017, on the Nashville Graphic's front page, "Making a Difference."
It was the story of how she helped a stray Akita she called Cookie. She spent 48 days gaining the dog's trust with daily feedings and loving talk. Suzanne brought Cookie to my place and would come every day to walk Cookie. She loved that dog and was able to help Cookie get to a Rescue thus eventually a forever home.

Last summer, I wrote about taking my two teenage sons to play golf.
I had not played since George Bush II was in office. Neither of my boys had ever played unless you count the time we wrote messages on balls and hit them into a neighbor's yard.
We'd tried to pick a day that wasn't so &^%$ hot. That doesn't exist in North Carolina between late May and late September.

Dear Editor: Understand that this is the opinion of one individual and not a statement from the veteran's organization that I belong to.
In early 2022 I was contacted by Winstead Avenue Elementary School. They asked if I could provide them with an American flag, as theirs had become worn and frayed. By the end of the day, they had a new American Flag flying in front of the school.

TOUR - This photo originally published in The Nashville Graphic on June 4, 1970. Students of Mrs. Eloise Fasion's sixth grade class at Nashville Elementary School went on a tour which included the Nash County Courthouse, Nashville Fire Department, The Nashville Graphic and other interesting places where they learned facts about business and government.

The North Carolina Wildlife and Outdoor Recreation Foundation (WORF) and the Town of Nashville are partnering to acquire and conserve property at Stoney Creek Environmental Park.
The town entered into a memorandum of understanding with WORF with plans to better maintain, conserve, preserve and enhance natural resources within the town. The first project focuses on Stoney Creek Environmental Park.

ROCKY MOUNT - Dr. Ami Thompson, Assistant Professor of Biology at NC Wesleyan University, will spend 10 weeks this summer as the very first Ecologist Resident hosted by nonprofit, Appalachian Headwaters. Based in Lewisburg, West Virginia, Appalachian Headwaters is a leader in environmental education and reforestation of mined land in central Appalachia.

Many of you remember the 1970's hit show, "Dallas." The young lady who played Lucy Ewing, Charlene Tilton, has been on the interview circuit recently. She stars in a new movie, "Heaven Sent," It is being shown on the Christian-based streaming service called Pure Flix Network.
Seeing her reminded me of the main character on "Dallas", J. R. Ewing. He was played by the actor, Larry Hagman.

The Bible knows nothing of lone Christians, of believers who are willfully independent from a local church. Rather, Christians gather in communities to worship together and serve one another. And as God commands his people to gather in community, he also commands them to be led--led by men called and qualified as pastors or elders (terms the Bible uses interchangeably). As we progress through a series of questions about things we as Christians often take for granted, we now come to the question of church leadership and ask, "What's the purpose of a Pastor?"

Congratulations to Margo Ennis Melton who was selected as 2023-2024 Pender Early College Teacher of the Year! Margo is the daughter of Jim and Jackie Ennis.
The Parent Child Dedication will be Sunday, May 14 at Red Oak Baptist Church. Anyone wanting to participate should contact the church office at 252-443-0376 by May 7.

NINTH GRADE - A HONOR ROLL
Dy'Asha Arrington, Emma Barnes, Denisse Campos, Kendall Chewning, Jared Cohen, Adam Collier, Frenchy Davis, Carisma Deans, Makenzie Edwards, Conner Ezzell, Breea Giles, Rachel Gray, Isabel Hernandez, Cameron Hunter, Thomas Jones, Cheyenne Lemus, Andy Liu, Santiago Lopez-Riano, Destiny Medlin, Noah Moore, Mekai Nunery, Nissi Perez Hernandez, Jakayla Powell, Mikayla Pulley, Adolfo Ramirez, Caitlin Rogers, Hannah Steele, Mallory Sutton, Zariona Terry-Strickland and Olivia Williams...

SIXTH GRADE - A HONOR ROLL
Yaseen Abdus-Salaam, Maryah Allen, Kasen Batts-Wood, Pearson Bissette, Abigail Chandler, Alyssa Dalton, TaCcara Dickens, Lydia Edgerton, Nevaeh Evans, Jeremiah Godwin, Lila Hancock, Liyah Harris, Lana Hasan, Ava Hicks, Kendall Hopkins, Amber Johnson, Chase Lancaster, Sanaa Lawrence, Peyton Long, Evan Mallory, Corey Mercer, Gabrielyn Rundle, Omar Sowe, Jayden Spruill, Ryan Turner and Trinadi Williams

SIXTH GRADE - A HONOR ROLL
Makayla Bakerman, Sara Bakerman, Christopher Bass, Finley Boyd, Charlotte Burns, Haven Carter, A'dia Cash, Harmony Dupree, Elin Johnson, Addyson McGuire, Anthony Morris, Alexis Pennington, Aubrey Poland, Casey Rouse, Cierra Saputo, Robert Schwarz, Carter Shearin and Na'Keira Walker

THIRD GRADE- A HONOR ROLL
Jamari Dozier, Adaiah Graham and Elijah Keith

David William Roberts and Anita Leanne Roberts to ABU Holdings, LLC; 6357 Windchase Drive, Rocky Mount
Fernando Torres Coyt, Fernando Coyt Torres, Amalia Amezcua Juan De Dios, Amalia Amezcua Juan De Dios and Amalia Juan De Dios Amezcua to Vincente Nunez Coyt and Ana Rocio Cervantes Avalos; 5493 Hopkins Road, Middlesex

BUILDING PERMIT (COMMERCIAL)
Chris West; 107 A Nashville Drive W; renovation/alteration; $709,359
Alexandra Long; 4461 Boseman Road; miscellaneous; $15,000
Alexandra Long; 9271 N US 301; miscellaneous; $15,000

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The least suspenseful season in Big East Conference boys golf history came to a conclusion last Wednesday -- with the same finish as always.
Powerhouse Roanoke Rapids claimed a first-place finish in every league match this spring, so it was no surprise when the Yellow Jackets took the top spot at the annual Big East Championships at The River GC near Bunn.

NORTHERN NASH'S AARON FLEMING

ROCKY MOUNT HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN CONNOR SKEELS

STANHOPE -- For the Northern Nash Fighting Knights, their quest for a second consecutive Big East Conference regular season baseball championship needed one final dose of clarity -- as in a single victory over rival Southern Nash in last week's league twinbill series.
But Northern Nash was able to double its pleasure, clinching the conference last Tuesday before tacking on another triumph over the Firebirds last Thursday on the SNHS campus in Stanhope.

Northern Nash's Ashton Rhodes (right) swipes second base during last Thursday evening's road victory at Southern Nash in a key Big East Conference baseball showdown.

FRANKLINTON -- Northern Nash's boys and Rocky Mount's girls were the big winners at last Tuesday's annual Big East Conference Track and Field Championships on the campus of Franklinton High School.
The Fighting Knights ended Southern Nash's recent control of the top trophy by securing 165 total points to take first place in the hotly contest standings.

ZEBULON -- With a season-high 4,252 on hand at Five County Stadium, the Carolina Mudcats finished with a de facto doubleheader split with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers last Saturday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
Carolina (11-8) took the first game 1-0, but fell in the second 8-1 to the visiting Cannon Ballers (12-7) in Zebulon.

STANHOPE -- Louisburg might be building for the future, but Southern Nash had some right-how business to take care of during last Thursday's Big East Conference girls soccer showdown.
Needing a victory to remain atop atop the league standings, the Ladybirds got the job done in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 9-0 decision over LHS at historic Firebird Stadium on the SNHS campus.