Author: Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin

Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin grew up in Evanston, IL. and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She is an author of two novels: The Greening of a Heart and Facing East. She lives, writes and gardens in NC. Visit her: Stephenyhoughtlin.com

Rocky Mount, NC: Labor Day 2025

I have known and sung the words to the song, September since always. Older now, I understand the meaning of....these precious days I spend with you. Oh, it's a long, long while from May to DecemberBut the days grow short when you reach SeptemberWhen the autumn weather turns the leaves to flameOne hasn't got time … Continue reading Rocky Mount, NC: Labor Day 2025 →

The Prosecutors Summation: OIC and the Question of Public Trust

The Prosecutors Summation to the Jury. It is not easy to hold two truths at once. That OIC has brought real good to this community: yes. That the tutoring programs, the workforce training, the wraparound services have helped people climb out of hardship: yes again. But it is also true that when council members sit … Continue reading The Prosecutors Summation: OIC and the Question of Public Trust →

OIC on the Stand: Exhibit B and C

The courtroom doors swing shut. The prosecutor rises once more. A Financial Auditor takes the stand, sworn to testify. What follows is not rumor, not speculation, but evidence entered into the record. Today the case turns to OIC, its leadership, its ledgers, and the uneasy lines that bind public office to private control. Exhibit B: … Continue reading OIC on the Stand: Exhibit B and C →

Here Ye, here Ye: This is the case of The People vs. the Councilmen Who Beat the System: Expert Witness Testimony- Part 2

The courtroom doors swing shut. The jury settles in. The prosecutor rises. A witness, sworn in for his expertise, takes the stand. Papers shuffle, silence grows thick, and the questioning begins. The Testimony Prosecutor: “Mr. Witness, for the record, can you explain what the city’s 2019 CAPER reported about housing repairs?” Witness: “Yes. The 2019 … Continue reading Here Ye, here Ye: This is the case of The People vs. the Councilmen Who Beat the System: Expert Witness Testimony- Part 2 →

Everyone KNOWS the Councilmen Who Run The Show

This is not about party politics, race, or personality. It’s about the structure of trust in a city and what happens when it is hollowed out. This isn’t a rant. It’s not gossip. It’s not vengeance. It’s a sober assessment of the cost of silence and the weight of complicity. We have two local elected … Continue reading Everyone KNOWS the Councilmen Who Run The Show →