Recent Articles

The newest kid on the internet block in Nash County is Ripple Fiber, founded in 2021 and based in Charlotte.
Touting itself as "America's fastest fiber internet company" on its website, ripplefiber.com, Ripple is increasing its footprint, having merged with HyperFiber out of Chesterfield Missouri in March 2024.
Closer to home, Ripple bought CloudWyze's fiber infrastructure in December 2024 and as of June 10, 2025, acquired BridgeNET in the Statesville NC area.

Last week, many conservatives were dancing on the grave of National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System. These two organizations had their Federal funding cut.
There have also been cuts to the arts, national parks and historic preservation organizations this year. Much of the money had already been promised, plans made. A lot of people have cheered.

Though it's 2025 and technology has moved far beyond, and faster, than we ever imagined seeing in our lifetime - we still have homes in Nash County that have absolutely no option for internet. We're watching the evolution of AI take the place of human beings, but one in four homes in Nash County can't even connect to the internet.
There are a good chunk of homes considered served with internet access due to having the option of Hughesnet - but that's not really ideal for a household needing the speed for streaming or working from home due to slower speeds and high latency.

This photo published in The Nashville Graphic on September 1, 1977. Four rangers from the Rocky Mount District of the N.C. Forest Service were among crews who spent three weeks fighting forest fires in Oregon, California, Idaho and Colorado.

When we lived in Georgia, there was an article in the "Faith and Values" section of Atlanta Journal-Constitution that I read in sheer astonishment.
Here's what a Zen Buddhist had to say in the newspaper-sponsored column that appeared in that edition:
"I don't think it makes much difference what spiritual practice we choose, and there are certainly a wide variety to choose from these days. But whatever our choice, our expression of spirituality must be based on trust - trust in something very great, something that we cannot see."

The German philosopher Karl Marx once stated that Christianity was "the opium of the masses." Sure enough, religion in general, and Christianity in particular, has often been portrayed by nonbelievers as "a way to control society." Friedrich Nietzsche concurred. Nietzsche considers that because society is composed of two classes of people: good and bad, or good and evil, there are two types of morality. The good class (of high value) is known as the master and is composed of noble, intelligent aristocrats.

Banner Bears is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to provide comfort, peace, and the hope of Jesus to children, teens, and seniors who are in traumatic or struggling situations. Linda Sheets works with others in the organization to reach out to children and teens in family shelters, domestic violence shelters, children's homes, hospitals, and more. They give bundle to seniors who are homebound, in rehab, or in nursing homes to help brighten their days. For more information about this ministry go to bannerbears.org.

RED OAK -- The lights have only gotten brighter for Northern Nash's C.J. Rosser, a star for the Knights on the basketball court and one of the top players in the nation.
Rosser is unanimously rated as a top-five player in the country amongst cagers in the class of 2027, having received scholarship offers from local power programs such as NC State, North Carolina and Wake Forest.

RED OAK -- As the 2025-26 school year draws nearer, so does the fall sports calendar for each of the area athletic departments.
With that comes volleyball season, where Northern Nash's 2025 squad will be in search of its third straight playoff appearance under the direction of head coach Emily Engelking.

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash's cup of all-around excellence runneth over during the final year of the Big East Conference in its current state.
The Firebirds were the Big East winners of the 2024-25 Wells Fargo Conference Cup as they edged out Northern Nash by just five tallies in the points-based system.
The Wells Fargo Conference Cup Award is a companion to the statewide Wells Fargo State Cup. It is based on regular-season performances within conference play and is designed to recognize the best interscholastic athletic performance in each NCHSAA conference.

NASH COUNTY -- Here are the schedules for Nash Central, Northern Nash and Southern Nash for the upcoming high school boys soccer season (home matches are listed in CAPS):

NASH COUNTY -- It was a near record-breaking spring for the Nash County Parks and Recreation Department's Youth Baseball and Softball seasons.
Over 400 kids competed within the department's T-Ball, Baseball and Softball Leagues -- the second-highest total NCPR has experienced during its existence.
Tournament champions were crowned at the end of the year, and awards were handed out to individuals at each age level.
Here is a list of the team champions and individual honorees:

HARDEE'S CHIEFS MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS AND TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

"Hurricane season" in North Carolina officially begins in June, running to November 30, but forecasters within NOAA's National Weather Service are predicting a 60% chance of above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year.
"This agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher.). Of those, 6-10 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph-plus), including 3-5 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher," states a May 22, 2025 article posted at the website for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NASHVILLE - Most everybody knows that Nash County is famous for its sweetpotatoes; we grow accustomed to seeing people setting them in the fields in June, picking in the fall, then a lot of trucks rolling by laden with crates and crates. Even with the otherwise unusual presence of a Sweet Potato mascot riding in a Blooming Festival float and Bailey hosting the North Carolina Sweetpotato Festival, unless you're a farmer, you probably don't think about what's involved in making this happen or the sheer volume involved.

SPRING HOPE- One of two blighted properties in Spring Hope carrying over $10,000 in code violation fines has been foreclosed on, with the new owner promising to care for it.
An unoccupied house on 409 West Main Street, formerly owned by Old North Capital Investments of Tucson, AZ, has been eyed by town officials since a tree fell onto and through a shed in its back yard, according to Shawn Lucas, Code Enforcement Officer. To date, it has racked up $10,600 in penalties.