William West, Rocky Mount Telegram Journalist Profile

Articles

Birthday celebration planned for matriarch of Bailey’s store

1 week ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

The matriarch of Bailey’s Fine Jewelry is going to turn 100 years old this week — and the family-operated business has planned an advance birthday party for her. Ann Bailey is going to be honored from 4-6 p.m. Thursday at Bailey’s Rocky Mount location, which is at West End Plaza off South Winstead Avenue. Bailey is due to reach the century mark in her life on Saturday. Currently being led by a third-generation member of the family, Bailey’s can be traced back to 1948.
Ripe for Revival set to become a Rocky Mount Mills tenant

1 week ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

The Battle House at the Rocky Mount Mills commercial and residential development is going to be transformed into a place of culinary education by Ripe for Revival. “We love food — and we love the fact that food brings people together,” Ripe for Revival founder Will Kornegay said in a phone interview Friday. Ripe for Revival is the nonprofit arm of Ripe Revival and deploys mobile markets to help remedy food insecurity locally and regionally.
Two vehicle wrecks in Edgecombe County result in three deaths

1 week ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

Two separate fatal wrecks occurred in Edgecombe County late last week, with one claiming two lives and the other claiming a life, the N.C. Highway Patrol said. As a result of the wreck that claimed two lives, Quantellis Bradberry, 35, is going to be facing two charges of felony death by vehicle and a charge of felony serious injury by vehicle, patrol First Sgt. Kearstin Howald said via email. kAmqC2536CCJ 2=D@ :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 724:?8 492C86D @7 5C:G:?8 H9:=6 :>A2:C65[ 5C:G:?8 H:E9@FE 2?
City's 3-day Juneteenth festival to be its 20th anniversary event

2 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

Linda Joyner is elated about the upcoming three-day local Juneteenth Community Empowerment Festival slated for downtown next week. “I feel this year is going to be a very, very high charged, energetic, important year because we are celebrating the 20 years that we’ve been in existence,” Joyner said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.
Two founding directors of First Carolina Bank now in honorary status

2 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

Two businessmen who were key organizers of First Carolina Bank are forever connected to the Rocky Mount-based financial institution now that they have moved into director emeritus positions. Don Stallings and Tom Betts, at an April 24 meeting of the directors of both the bank’s and the bank’s holding company’s directors, offered their resignations, but they are going to remain accessible for any advice or counsel, the bank said in a June 2 news release.
City residents pan proposed tax increases

2 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

The Rocky Mount City Council heard from residents Monday evening about the proposed budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year that currently includes an amendment to raise the property tax rate from 58 cents per $100 in valuation to 62 cents. And right from the start there was no groundswell of support for the rate going up four cents. kAmqC6?E (:=D@?[ H9@ FD6D 2 D4@@E6C E@ 96=A 9:> >@G6 23@FE 2?5 H9@ 7246D 2 492==6?86 ECJ:?8 E@ DA62<[ 2AA62C65 H:E9 9:D H:76[ y2>:6[ H9@ A=2J65 2?
Joyner says he will not seek re-election to City Council

2 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

Rocky Mount residents living in Ward 3 will be deciding on a new elected official in the fall to represent them on the City Council. City Councilman Richard Joyner said in an interview Monday that he is not going to be seeking re-election in the upcoming municipal elections. Joyner has been representing Ward 3 on the council since having first been appointed in 2018 when then-incumbent Lamont Wiggins was appointed to be an N.C. Superior Court judge.
Residents, industries slated to pay more in electric bills

3 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

A majority of the City Council at a budget work session Wednesday agreed for the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year to include increasing the electricity rate for residents by $5 a month. If the proposed budget is approved, this will be the first change by the city of retail electricity rates since 2017.
Council discusses upping the tax rate in 2025-26 budget

3 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

Increasing Rocky Mount’s property tax rate is the directive City Manager Elton Daniels received at a City Council budget work session Wednesday afternoon in response to the proposed budget that he recently presented for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Daniels had proposed a budget that would keep the city property tax rate at 58 cents per $100 in valuation.
Allegra named Chamber's Small Business of the Year

3 weeks ago | rockymounttelegram.com | William West

The Allegra marketing, mailing and printing service was honored Tuesday evening as the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year. Allegra owner Todd Hinson told a gathering at the Chamber’s yearly celebration of the area’s small businesses about being glad to be part of the Chamber moments after he and his team accepted the award. “So, thank you for everything that everybody in this room does,” Hinson told the gathering in Nash Community College’s Brown Auditorium.