TC Spotlight

Rocky Mount is on the move - and this week we're talking about the asset that quite literally connects our region to the rest of the country.Josh Pusser, Director of the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport (RWI), joins us to pull back the curtain on how the airport actually works - who funds it, how it operates, and why this regional hub is one of the most important economic engines in the Twin Counties.And the timing couldn't be better. RWI just received a $5 million grant from the NC General Assembly, funding that will pave the way for new hangar development and major upgrades across the airport. We dig into what that expansion means for local businesses, corporate aviation, and the future growth of Nash and Edgecombe Counties.If you've ever wondered what really happens out at the airport - and why it matters to all of us - this is the episode to hear.

Rocky Mount raised him. Dallas trained him. Now he's back home — and he's bringing big-league care with him.This week we sit down with Chad Womble, founder of MVP Therapy in Rocky Mount. A former collegiate pitcher at NC Wesleyan, Chad took his arm — and his ambition — down to Texas, where he spent more than a decade training under some of the top athletic trainers in the world, including a clinical rotation at TMI Sports Medicine, the official rehabilitation center of the Texas Rangers.But home kept calling. Chad returned to Rocky Mount to open MVP Therapy, a one-on-one physical therapy and performance practice built around a simple idea: people deserve more from PT — more time, more attention, and a plan built specifically for them. No hand-offs to a technician. No rushed appointments. No cookie-cutter treatment.He's a Certified ArmCare Specialist, a Certified Pitching Biomechanist, and a Champion Performance Specialist — world-class credentials working right here in Nash County, on everyone from youth athletes to weekend warriors to folks who just want to move without pain.If you've ever wondered what elite-level physical therapy actually looks like — or what it means when someone who could practice anywhere chooses Rocky Mount — this one's for you.

What happens when Nash County's Democratic chair and its former Republican chair sit in the same studio for 39 minutes? Not a shouting match — a shared game plan.Dr. Cassandra Conover and Mark Edwards return to the Twin County Spotlight, this time together, as part of Urban Rural Action's Conservative Leadership for a United America program. The mission: prove that political opponents can disagree hard and still treat each other like neighbors.The conversation gets honest fast. Dr. Conover doesn't flinch — name-calling has "tripled," and she's watched her own phone-bankers get "cussed out" by strangers who don't know them. Edwards counters the national noise with what he sees door-knocking every weekend: face-to-face, even people who disagree won't slam the door. "Politics as entertainment works," he says, "but politics on the local level doesn't have all those negative connotations."Both agree the way back isn't louder megaphones — it's longer conversations, face-to-face, and the discipline to hate the opinion, not the person. As Edwards puts it: "You can hate their ideas, but don't hate the person."And if this episode leaves you fired up to do more than argue online — go vote. Early voting is already underway across Nash and Edgecombe Counties, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. Local races are decided by the people who show up. Make your voice count.A refreshingly human exchange for anyone exhausted by the partisan shout-cycle.

Rocky Mount is writing a comeback story — and this week we sit down with the manager at the helm.City Manager Elton Daniels joins us for a conversation about the financial stabilization of a city that was on the brink. When Daniels took the helm in April 2025, he inherited a municipality burning through millions more each month than it brought in — a crisis so severe the state auditor issued a scathing report and the Local Government Commission held the threat of a takeover over City Hall.Today, the picture looks dramatically different. Daniels and the City Council have made the hard calls: a 10% workforce reduction, millions in spending cuts, utility rate adjustments, and a complete overhaul of how the city budgets and tracks its money. The result? Rocky Mount is projected to end this year with $50 million across its funds — a staggering turnaround from the $18 million it held at the end of last year.We dig into what it took to get here: the painful decisions, the political will, the operational reforms, and why Daniels believes this is just the foundation for Rocky Mount's next chapter.

In this episode, we sit down with Justin Sykes, lead writer and editor of the Tar River Arts + Culture Magazine, ahead of our fall 2026 release. Justin takes us behind the scenes of his pieces on Smith's Red + White, Big Bones Meat Market, Prime Smokehouse, the Rocky Mount Farmers Market, and more — sharing the stories, flavors, and characters that make the Twin Counties' food and culture scene one of a kind. Be sure to check out TRA+C Magazine, coming out later this week!

In this episode, we sit down with Jan Warren, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Rocky Mount, to shine a light on the incredible work they do in our community — from delivering 500 meals each week to homebound seniors, to coordinating more than 125 dedicated volunteers who make it all happen.We also get the inside scoop on the 11th Annual Beans & Brews Chili Cook-Off, a beloved community tradition that raised $75,000 last year alone to feed homebound seniors right here in Rocky Mount. Mark your calendars for Thursday, November 5th, 5:30–8:30 PM at Rocky Mount Mills — it's the perfect fall evening of award-winning chili and craft beer pairings.Grab your tickets at the link below to support their mission and taste some of the best chili and brews around:https://mowrmt.org/beansbrews

Big news for downtown Rocky Mount! On this episode, we sit down with Jamie Holcomb, CEO of the North Carolina Children's Museum, to talk about the announcement that the museum will make the Imperial Centre its flagship headquarters. Under a proposed lease between the city and the museum, the NC Children's Museum will renovate and upgrade the Imperial Centre facilities, then operate and program the space — bringing a major new anchor for families right into the heart of downtown.We also trace Jamie's path from college to a career in the Museums of North Carolina, and what it takes to lead a statewide institution. It's a conversation about leadership, community investment, and what this move means for the future of Rocky Mount.

What happens when an engineer trades formulas for flour? On this episode of TC Spotlight, we sit down with Gabby Pacelli — founder and head baker of Pacelli's Bakery, Rocky Mount's newest artisan bakery — to talk about her leap from a career in engineering (she holds a Master of Engineering) into the craft of baking. Gabby shares how early days learning in her family's bakery planted the seed, how she built a devoted following through local markets and pop-ups starting in 2025, and what gave her the confidence to open her own storefront at 1137 Jeffreys Road in 2026. If you've tasted one of her creations, you already know: for Gabby, sourdough is a living thing, and cake batter is "just a formula at the end of the day — but made with love."We dig into what she's serving up — fresh sourdough, authentic bagels, delicate macarons, and gourmet pastries made with quality ingredients and traditional technique — and the high standards of someone who says she won't serve anything she isn't proud of. Gabby also talks about her vision for the bakery: a welcoming neighborhood spot where customers are known by name, conversations happen naturally, and every visit feels personal. Whether you're a regular from her pop-up days, a bagel lover who's picked one up before, or just curious what an engineer-turned-baker is cooking up in Rocky Mount, this is a conversation about passion, precision, and community you won't want to miss.

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

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.