I’m addicted to well written mysteries. My mother was a Sherlock Holmes buff. I regret that I didn’t begin reading them until after she was gone. It would have been fun to compare notes. I’m thinking of her as I write about Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was created by the Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes … Continue reading Sherlock Holmes Would Say, The Game Is Afoot in Rocky Mount →

As of March 1, something hopeful is taking shape in Rocky Mount. Ward 1 and Ward 2, both represented by longtime Councilmen, André Knight in Ward 1 and Reuben Blackwell in Ward 2, are no longer “foregone conclusion” seats. Brian Lapine and Mark Williams have already declared their intent to run against these incumbents, Lapine … Continue reading Hope Arrives Early: A New Season of Candidates for City Council →

When Rocky Mount moved from at-large elections to ward-based voting in 1985, the city looked very different. In 1980, Rocky Mount’s total population was 41,283. At that time, Black residents made up just over 42 percent of the population. The shift to seven single-member wards came in that context, when Black citizens were a large … Continue reading Changing How We Vote: 1985 Was a 42 Percent Minority City. 2026 That Minority Has Changed To a 62 Percent Majority. →

In recent weeks many readers have asked a direct question as the conversation about changing how Rocky Mount votes continues to grow. What would city-wide voting actually look like in practice? Right now council members are chosen by ward. Candidates come from one of the seven wards, and only voters who live inside that ward … Continue reading What City-Wide Voting Would Actually Mean for Rocky Mount →