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I won't ever forget that day or what I was doing and I suspect most readers of this column won't either.
I was on my way to my studio in Nashville when the mindless deejays on a mindless morning show mentioned that an airplane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers in New York. They laughed it off.

I've been told numerous times by a rather wise man that you can pretty much expect time to slip by twice as fast once Labor Day hits and Christmas will be here in the blink of an eye. And he's right!
But let's not get too fast that we miss out on the awesome fall events headed our way - events that we've missed out on for quite some time due to the pandemic.

North Carolina Wesleyan College's 65th Founding Anniversary is October 25. The college submitted this photo of the construction of its entrance wall.

MAYPORT, Fla. - A Rocky Mount native serves in the U.S. Navy aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook.
Petty Officer 1st Class Chevaris Jennett joined the Navy 19 years ago. Today, Jennett serves as an electrician's mate.
"My brother, Delvin, joined the Navy," said Jennett. "I saw what he was doing, and it made me want to leave home and do the same thing."

The city of Rocky Mount will observe the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by holding a ceremony at the flag pole of the Frederick E. Turnage Municipal Building. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 and will be shared live via the city of Rocky Mount's Facebook page.
Members of the Rocky Mount Fire Department and Rocky Mount Police Department will honor the lives lost and affected of their fellow public service members and civilians as a result of the attacks on the United States.

Possession marijuana less than 1/2 oz; possession cocaine; resisting arrest/hinder and delay; possession of stolen goods; possession of drug paraphernalia; drive/allow motor vehicle no registration at 102 NW Railroad St., Whitakers on 8/31/21
Warrant service/larceny misdemeanor at 10601 E NC 97, Rocky Mount on 9/3/21

Antwane Daniels charged with DWI on 8/29/21
Tiara Moore charged with carrying concealed weapon, DWI on 8/29/21
Eric Jones, charged with flee/elude arrest with motor vehicle on 8/31/21

Rocky Mount Police responded to a shooting with injury at approximately 3 a.m., September 6, at 1020 North Wesleyan Blvd (Cook Out). The victim, a 24-year-old female, was transported to UNC Nash Healthcare, where she was treated and released for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Shell casings were located in the parking lot of Cook Out and near Jeffreys Road and Sutters Creek Blvd, which is consistent with suspects shooting from a moving vehicle.

Rocky Mount Police Department arrested and charged a 24-year-old male, Adrian Knight of Zebulon with first degree murder and possession of a firearm by felon. Knight was incarcerated at the Nash County Detention Facility with no bond in connection with the shooting of 19-year-old Quatarius Ruffin.
At approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 28, the Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a shots fired call on South Wesleyan Blvd.

The Nash County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division conducted a traffic stop on a green Honda Accord for a registration violation and K9 Maya was deployed finding a positive indication for the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle.
During the encounter, deputies noticed a plastic bag near the front waistband of Christopher Brandon Lewis. Further investigation revealed that Lewis was concealing a plastic bag inside of his waistband, which contained approximately 250 Dosage units of heroin.

Rocky Mount Police Department received complaints of drug activity in the 1100 block of Star Street. As a result, the Rocky Mount Special Operations Division began a thorough investigation and executed a search warrant in the 1100 block of Star Street. The Rocky Mount Police Department seized nearly 700 grams of illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and ammunition from inside the residence.

The Nash UNC Health Care Foundation has funded a new program at Nash UNC Health Care to help patients decrease their chances of being re-admitted to the hospital.
"One of our goals as a hospital is to reduce patient readmissions to the hospital.

Thirteen elementary school students' art pieces have been chosen for the North Carolina Farm to School 2021-2022 calendar. This marks the 11th year for the popular contest.
Second-grader Aryan Pampatwar from Benvenue Elementary, was one of thirteen elementary school students whose art was chosen for the North Carolina Farm to School 2021-2022 calendar. This marks the 11th year for the popular contest.

S. Battle, J. Battle, Detron M. Bennett, Takira Bennett, Sharon Denise Battle, John Battle, Detron McKinley Bennett to Lemonade Property Group, LLC; lot 34, Block C, Section 2, Winwood Subdivision
Linda Tomlinson, Kathy Toavs, Dwight Toavs, Ronald Bartholomew, Judith Bartholomew, Michele Khuen, Mark Khuen, Melanie Patterson, Keith Gary, Annemarie Pringle to George Ricky Tucker and Dianne G. Tucker; property on East College Street in Spring Hope

Building Permits Residential
Braxton H. Bell, 1007 Sandy Cross Rd; new single family; $250,000
Randal Weaver, 2247 Quail Haven Rd; detached accessory; $68,000

We recently had our two nieces, Evie and Rya, visiting from Wisconsin. At 6 and 8, they are full of questions and talk about everything they hear someone mention.
Evie asked Robbie how old she was. Robbie asked, "how old do you think I am"? Evie said, "probly 100. You'll probly be dead when I'm a teenager, but I'll come to your funeral!" Robbie told Evie that she would see her again one day in heaven. Evie quickly replied, "No, you'll be in the North Carolina heaven. I'll be in the Wisconsin heaven"!

"We at Peachtree Baptist Church continue to pray for you; your friends and family during these stressful times. The Covid-19-DV has spiked and the number of cases and deaths continue to rise.
The sanctuary flower arrangement Sunday was presented to glorify God Bob and I in honor of our granddaughter, Linnea Mink, who celebrated her 20th. birthday on September 4th

The Mission Friends, Girls in Action, and Royal Ambassadors met Wednesday, September 1 at Red Oak Baptist Church with great attendance. This is the first time meeting since last year with the pandemic. They had a great time! AWANA met Wednesday, September 8. The 2 organizations will be meeting with the missions groups meeting 1st and 3rd Wednesday nights and AWANA meeting 2nd and 4th Wednesday nights. The groups will take turns meeting on 5th Wednesdays.

STANHOPE -- Much has been made through the years about Southern Nash's prolific Double Wing offense. But ask anyone on the Firebirds' coaching staff, and they will tell you that the key to the school's game-by-game success is often determined on the defensive side of the ball.
So none of the coaches were very happy with the performance of SN's defense during a comeback victory over East Wake in the Firebirds' regular season opener.
Fast forward to the second game, and the defense could not have looked any differently.

ROCKY MOUNT-- When assessing how the Big East Conference volleyball standings were going to shake up this fall, it was easy and convenient to point toward Franklin County.
After all, that area has more of a spike tradition than Nash County, and Franklinton has been a force in the Big East over the past four campaigns.

RED OAK -- After having to take time off due to COVID-related issues with some of their opponents, the Northern Nash Knights were back in action last Thursday against the Topsail Pirates, going on the road and earning a dominant 40-0 win.
Starting 2-0 for the fourth season in a row, and the fourth time under Head Coach Andrew Farriss, the Knights have gotten off to an even more dominant start than years past, as before Topsail, Northern knocked off SouthWest Edgecombe in its season opener 53-0.

ZEBULON - Darrien Miller hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of action to lead the homestanding Carolina Mudcats to an 8-4 series finale victory versus the Delmarva Shorebirds on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
The grand slam was Miller's second of the series and Carolina's tenth of the season. It was also Miller's fourth home run in his last three games.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan College football team fell 36-7 in its home opener to ODAC foe Emory & Henry College on Sunday afternoon as they played in honor of their teammate, #73 Matthew Clemmons, who passed away last Thursday.
Wesleyan used its emotion and courage to drive right down the field in 66 yards on its first possession to go up 7-0 early on the Wasps.

WARREN COUNTY -- Chris Buffalo, local Kyokushin Karate fighter, won his third Muay-Thai Kickboxing match on August 21 in Western Virginia.
The event was sponsored by Rocket Combat Sports (a subsidiary of GLORY KICKBOXING) and Buffalo's opponent had much more experience than him and was the favored fighter to win.

RALEIGH -- North Carolina State University's two-headed backfield tandem appears to be stronger than ever -- at least judging by the results from the Wolfpack's regular season opener last Thursday against South Florida.
Franklin County's Ricky Person (Heritage) and Nash County's Zonovan 'Bam' Knight (Southern Nash) combined for a whopping 327 total yards of offense to go with four touchdowns as the Wolfpack roared to an impressive 45-0 decision over the Bulls at historic Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.