TC Spotlight

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