TC Spotlight

Twin County Media Group
  • 5.0 (4)
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  • Updated Weekly

Our mission is to highlight the positive news and events taking place in Nash and Edgecombe counties. We shine the spotlight on those people doing interesting things in our community.

  1. 8h ago

    Dr. Jason Miller - North Carolina State University

    The First Dream Comes Home On Friday, August 28th at 7:30 PM, the Rocky Mount Mills Power House becomes hallowed ground for a historic homecoming—one that will echo across six decades and reconnect our city with its place in civil rights history. North Carolina State University's Dr. Jason Miller brings his documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the very community where it all began. Because here's what most Americans don't know: the "I Have a Dream" speech that shook the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, was first spoken nine months earlier in the gymnasium of Booker T. Washington High School right here in Rocky Mount. On November 27, 1962, Dr. King stood in our city and dreamed out loud for the first time. Dr. Miller discovered the original reel-to-reel recording of that speech gathering dust in the Braswell Memorial Library in 2013—a 1.5-millimeter acetate tape that rewrote history and proved Rocky Mount's role in birthing one of America's most iconic moments. You can learn more about Dr. Miller's discovery and the story behind the recording here: https://www.pbs.org/video/origin-of-the-dream-lyntp3/ This screening isn't just a documentary showing. It's a reunion. Two people who were actually present in that high school gym in 1962—the same students who heard Dr. King speak "I have a dream" for the very first time—will be in the audience. Living witnesses to the moment before the March on Washington, the moment when Rocky Mount made history. Come out for an evening of remembrance, reflection, and reverence to celebrate that night in 1962. This is more than a screening. It's Rocky Mount remembering its place in Dr. King's dream. Friday, August 28th • 7:30 PM • Rocky Mount Mills Power House Featuring Dr. Jason Miller (NC State University) and two original witnesses to King's First Dream

  2. Aug 18

    David Ess - Pate, Horton, & Ess

    David Ess, partner at Pate, Horton & Ess, isn't your typical Twin Counties professional. In this episode of TC Spotlight, David shares the story of his 3,800-mile cross-country bike ride — completed in just 54 days — half of which he completed alone.We dig into what it takes to ride solo across America, the mental shift between partnership and self-reliance, and the spiritual elements of solitude on the road.Join us for a conversation about endurance, independence, and knowing when to keep pedaling.

  3. Aug 11

    Pam Gould - STEP

    Pam Gould is a lifelong resident of the Twin Counties with over 30 years in education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in Education from East Carolina University. Her career spans Edgecombe County Public Schools, Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, Edgecombe Community College, and Nash Community College — starting as a middle school teacher and coach, then moving into roles as a counselor, Crisis Intervention Specialist, Educational Consultant, and Director of the Redirections Day Treatment Program. She's presented at state and national conferences and delivered professional development to hundreds of local educators. In this episode, we talk with Pam about her path from the classroom to running one of eastern North Carolina's most impactful workforce development organizations as Executive Director of S.T.E.P. — the Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership. We dig into STEP's mission: connecting students in Nash and Edgecombe counties to real local careers, shattering the myth that "there are no good jobs here," and making sure dual-enrolled high schoolers graduate with industry-recognized credentials in hand. We also preview STEP's upcoming Education & Business Leaders' Summit — a half-day AI Summit on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount (7:30 AM – 12:00 PM). Industry leaders, educators, and innovators come together to explore what artificial intelligence means for the workplace, the classroom, and the future of the Twin Counties economy.

  4. Aug 3

    Tonia Grimsley - American Heart Association

    In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Tonia Grimsley, MPH — Development Director for the American Heart Association in Eastern NC, adjunct professor of public health at NC Wesleyan University, and head cheerleading coach at NCWU. Tonia is a native of the Twin Counties — she was inducted into SouthWest Edgecombe High School's Athletics Hall of Fame, earned her MPH from NC Wesleyan while working full-time and coaching, and built a career at the intersection of public health, nonprofit fundraising, and community building. She lives in Edgecombe County, teaches the next generation of public health professionals, and has brought AHA CPR training directly into Rocky Mount housing communities. She's also served as emcee for Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce events — a visible, engaged voice across the region. We also talk about the upcoming Twin Counties Heart Walk this September — one of the region's flagship community health events that Tonia has helped lead for the past three years. We get into how AHA dollars actually reach Eastern North Carolina: the programming they run locally, the cardiovascular research they fund, and how a national organization translates into real impact in places like Nash and Edgecombe Counties. Tune in for our conversation with Tonia and to learn more about AHA's role in promoting public health in the Twin Counties!

  5. Jul 28

    Jeff Ellis - Ribeyes & Flo's Kitchen

    In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Jeff Ellis, the entrepreneur behind Ribeyes and Flo's — two of the Twin Counties' most recognizable restaurant brands with locations in both Wilson and Rocky Mount.We dig into the business side of food and beverage: what it takes to run successful restaurants in two different Twin County markets, how the food and beverage landscape is shifting right now, and what Jeff sees coming next for the industry. From supply chain pressures to changing consumer habits to how independent operators are competing in an increasingly crowded market — Jeff's got a front-row seat on all of it.And of course, we talk biscuits. Because no conversation with the owner of Flo's would be complete without getting into the art and science behind one of the most iconic items on the menu.

  6. Jul 21

    Dr. Alexis Brown Exum - Rocky Mount Children's Dentistry

    Dr. Alexis Brown Exum is a Rocky Mount native who came full circle — graduating from Northern Nash High School, earning her DDS at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, and completing both her advanced education in general dentistry and pediatric dentistry residencies at ECU before returning home to open Rocky Mount Children's Dentistry. In this episode, Dr. Alexis talks about her journey from Yellow Jacket to board-certified pediatric dentist, why she chose to come back to Rocky Mount to serve the community that raised her, and how she's making dental visits something kids actually look forward to — Netflix ceilings, play areas, and a warm, relationship-first approach that puts anxious little patients (and their parents) at ease. We discuss preventative care, early intervention, building trust with families, her vision for school partnerships across Nash and Edgecombe counties, and what it means to be a young professional investing her career back into the Twin Counties. Rocky Mount Children's Dentistry — 901 N. Winstead Ave, Ste 360 | (252) 740-2100 | rockymountkids.com

  7. Jul 14

    Matt Bristow-Smith - Edgecombe Early College

    Matt Bristow-Smith has spent over two decades in Edgecombe County schools — fifteen years teaching English at Tarboro High, and the last ten-plus as principal of Edgecombe Early College High School, a 200-student school in Tarboro that quietly posts some of the best outcomes in the state: an A-rating for four straight years, a 100% graduation rate, and 96% of students earning associate degrees before they walk across the stage.In March 2026, Governor Josh Stein, Senate leader Phil Berger, and House Speaker Destin Hall appointed him to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education — an 18-member body tasked with rethinking teacher preparation, student advancement, and how schools actually get run. It's a seat that gives Eastern NC a direct line into statewide policy, and Matt earned it the same way he runs his school: by proving what's possible when you take the work seriously.The conversation isn't just about Matt. It's about what happens when education becomes an economic engine. Early College students graduate with college credits — real workforce-ready credentials — in a region that needs every single one of those kids to stay, build, and lead. It's about what local employers keep asking for, why some students thrive and others fall through the cracks, what state-level policy actually looks like from a principal's desk, and what gives a veteran educator genuine optimism about the next generation coming up in Edgecombe County.

  8. Jul 7

    KJ Askew - Director, Marketing & Strategic Engagement, Nash Community College

    In this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Dr. Kenyon "KJ" Askew Jr., D.B.A., Director of Marketing & Strategic Engagement at Nash Community College.We start with KJ's story — growing up in Colerain, NC (Bertie County), the path from Bertie County Schools to a leadership role at Nash, and what that journey taught him about opportunity, drive, and what it takes for talented young professionals to rise quickly in the Twin Counties. His trajectory is the kind of local success story that proves the region can grow its own talent when the doors are open and the work ethic is there.Then we turn to Nash Community College. KJ walks us through current enrollment — the numbers, the momentum, and what's drawing students in 2026. We zoom out from there into a bigger-picture look at where community college sits in the higher education landscape today: more accessible than four-year universities, more career-focused than traditional liberal arts paths, and under increasing pressure to prove their value in a world full of alternative credentials.The conversation wraps with how higher ed is changing — shifting demographics, workforce demands, stackable certificates, AI in the classroom — and how Nash is positioning itself to stay ahead of the curve rather than scramble to keep up.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Our mission is to highlight the positive news and events taking place in Nash and Edgecombe counties. We shine the spotlight on those people doing interesting things in our community.

Information

  • Creator
    Twin County Media Group
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Twin County Media Group
  • Show Website
    TC Spotlight

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