Recent Articles

As of Tuesday, June 1, Voluntary Water Conservation Stage I is now in effect. During this stage of voluntary water conservation, the City of Rocky Mount asks all water customers to be mindful of their water usage and to conserve when possible.
The North Carolina Department of Water Resources requires the city to release 80 cubic feet per second or approximately 52 million gallons of water per day from the Tar River Reservoir, which is the city's primary source of water.

Several years ago, I had a meeting in Washington, D.C. and heard a surprisingly honest and sincere speech by then Ohio Congressman, John Kasich.
It's been a while so you may not remember Kasich when he was in Washington. He was a nine-term Congressman and became Chairman of the House Budget Committee when the Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994.

What we believe about the Bible is absolutely crucial. Whether we've never read it or read it every day, each of us must make up our own mind regarding this amazing book. Some people think that since it was written by many different, imperfect men, it must, therefore, contain errors.
Others believe it's outdated and irrelevant because it was written so long ago.

This past Sunday, Kingdom International Church honored graduates in the service. Children's Pastor Cindy Lamm and Assistant Brenda Braswell presented Pre-School, Pre-K and Kindergarten graduates with Bibles imprinted with their names. The group, with the help of other Children's Church Kids, performed a mime for the congregation. Well done! Youth Pastor Grant McGlothlin presented the High School and College graduates with journals, after which Pastor Daniel Moss gave the morning message.

Each person has their own idea, or imagination, of what God is like.
For many people, whether they realize it or not, this idea comes from how we view our earthly fathers. Hence, the role of a father in a home is vital for cultivating a healthy view of God, and the lack of a godly father in a home can be detrimental to the well being of a child, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Congratulations to Eleanor and Elin Conner who were baptized at Red Oak Baptist Church on Sunday, June 13!
Ronnie Dickens has felt the call to serve God through preaching the Word for some time. Last Sunday, June 13, Ronnie was officially licensed to preach the gospel by Red Oak Baptist Church! The licensing ceremony took place during the morning worship service. May God continue to bless Ronnie through his ministry!

North Carolina's egg prices were higher on large, lower on extra large and medium, steady on small when compared to last week. Supplies of extra large were heavy, large moderate, while medium were fairly light to meet a moderate demand. The North Carolina weighted average price quoted Thursday, June 10, for small lot sales of delivered, cartoned, grade "A" eggs was 105.07 for Extra Large, 102.34 for Large, 87.35 for Medium, and 82.00 for Small eggs.

Nash County author Michael Brantley will hold a reading and book signing at The Nashville Exchange in downtown Nashville on Saturday, June 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. He will read from his second book, Galvanized: The Odyssey of a Reluctant Carolina Confederate, which was published last year by the University of Nebraska Press/Potomac Books.

Hurricane season is here again - and while we're thrilled with the season the Carolina Hurricanes have been having, we can all do without any tropical storms or hurricanes that may reach North Carolina this year. Unfortunately, experts are already predicting another above-average hurricane season. You can't wait until a hurricane is imminent to begin preparing, though. Here are some things you should be thinking about now.

Mr. Kenneth Willow Cheston and Mrs. Melissa Kaufman Cheston announce the graduation of their daughter, Emily Willow Cheston, from Princeton University. Emily received a Bachelor of Arts at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs with a certificate in African American Studies.
Emily is a graduate of Rocky Mount Academy and a Turner W. Battle Scholar.

The Halifax County Board of Education approved the superintendent's reccomendation of Linda Cooper for the position of Principal at Enfield Middle STEAM Academy.
A press release from Halifax County notes, "Cooper has 23 years of experience in education.

"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2)
What a great verse because it teems with truth. I've talked before about the truth that heaven is a real place. This week's column points out that truth. But this week is more about the messenger who speaks truth - Jesus!

Chairman Robbie Davis thanked about 20 concerned citizens in attendance at the Nash County Board of Commissioners' meeting Monday for showing interest in the proposed 82-acre Jones Farm Subdivision development in the Red Oak area. The proposal had been tabled by the board on May 3 after a public hearing and referred back to the Nash County Planning Board for reconsideration.

Over 1,000 Nash County Public Schools seniors turned their tassels as they graduated from various high schools in the district last week. Ceremonies were held at Early College High School, Tar River Academy, Rocky Mount High School, Nash Central High School, Northern Nash High School and Southern Nash High School.
Of the 55 graduates at Early College High School, 43 will attend a four year college, three will join the armed forces, and nine will enter the workforce. Graduates who plan to attend a college or university earned a combined total of $971,712 in scholarships.

The Town of Nashville is looking at ways to better enforce the rules and regulations at Forest Hills Cemetery.
Town Manager Randy Lansing brought the item up last week at the board's regular meeting.
Lansing asked council members to start thinking of ways the town could effectively communicate the rules to the public.

The Nash County Public Schools' (NCPS) Board approved a $1.1 million contract with Kelly Education at their meeting Monday night. "This agreement allows our district to secure full-time substitutes," said Sheila Wallace, NCPS director of federal programs. "The substitutes will be eligible for benefits, work up to 40 hours a week, and receive the same rate of pay."

A local developer pleaded with Nashville's Town Council to move forward with making a decision on a special use permit request so he could move forward with his project at Birchwood.
Council members last month delayed making a decision on a special use request for the former Birchwood Golf Course property. The request was brought back before the board last Tuesday for a decision but council members again postponed making a decision.

The Nash County Health Department is hosting a free COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Samaria Baptist Church on Thursday, June 10 from 4:00 pm until 6:30 pm. We will be offering Moderna vaccine to anyone 18 years of age or older. This is a walk-in clinic with no need to schedule an appointment. Vaccinations for kids 12 to 17 years of age will be offered on Friday, June 11 at the Nash County Health Department in Nashville. Call 252-462-2079 for appointments or more information.

After a year of deep study, research and a savings plan that would make Dave Ramsey proud, my new combination grill and smoker arrived.
It was difficult to sleep Friday night as I went over all the things I'd need to do to season and condition my grill, which I planned to spend most of the day doing on Saturday. It's as important as preparing a cast iron skillet -- something I once failed at terribly and still have the scars on my Southern pride to show for it.