Recent Articles

LOUISBURG, NC -- Memorial services for Regina Fowler Webb, age 70, who died Friday, April 12, 2024, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Brother Dwight Williams officiated.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Charlie Harbert Tharrington, III, 55, of Louisburg, died Thursday morning, April 18, 2024.

LAKE WYLIE, SC--Ollie F. Woodlief, age 79, of Lake Wylie, SC (formerly of Franklinton, NC) died March 19, 2024.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Jesse Ray "Buddy" Burton, 52, of Franklinton, died Saturday afternoon, April 20, 2024, at Louisburg Nursing Center.

Willis Ned Gupton, age 67, went to be with his Lord and Savior peacefully, after his battle with cancer, at home surrounded by his family, on April 16, 2024. Born to Wilbur and Mary Helen Gupton on October 24, 1956 in Franklin County, Louisburg, North Carolina.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Charles Edward Ray, surrounded by his loving family. He is the son of the late Charles Waddell Ray and Liza Tant Ray.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Stephanie Goslen (née Pediaditakis), 65, of Louisburg, NC, passed away on April 15, 2024, at Duke Hospital, surrounded by love from her family. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, teacher, and political activist.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Memorial services for Regina Fowler Webb, age 70, who died Friday, April 12, 2024, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Brother Dwight Williams officiating.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to move forward with judicial complex plans that will close a Louisburg street and take down an arguably historic structure.
A 2019 facilities review and space assessment study revealed a need for more and better judicial space.
As a result, Oakley Collier Architects presented commissioners with options to add 14,000 square feet of renovations to the current Hamilton Hobgood Courthouse Annex, and build a 55,000-square-foot, three-story building immediately behind it.

LOUISBURG -- While Franklin County officials were trying to put the finishing touches on a planned $13 million-plus grandiose courtroom building in downtown Louisburg Monday night, the town council was meeting a short distance away and was reining in those plans.
The town's main issue -- other than a perceived lack of communication from county officials -- is a proposal to close the portion of Johnson Street west of Main Street and use that space for parking.

LOUISBURG -- The appraisal company responsible for Franklin County's revaluation has pledged to examine every parcel they valued.
The decision essentially came under a subtle threat from county officials.
On Monday, Richmond, Va.-based Pearson's Appraisal Service Inc. owner Fred Pearson advised commissioners that he and his staff had heard 700 appeals and had another 1,500 written appeals to address regarding assessed property value notices that went out in March.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners and management provided updates on traffic projects that will have an impact on motorists.
Improvements to a major intersection, Main Street traffic congestion and the prospect of faster access to the state's capital have all been subject to stops and goes, leaders said.
First, at the request of Commissioner Larry Wiggins, Town Administrator Nathan Page provided an update on the Five Points project in town.

LOUISBURG -- After listening to a detailed, 42-page budget report from Franklin County Schools' Chief Finance Officer Quinnley Coley on Monday night, the school board agreed to seek $33,152,424 from the Franklin County commissioners for next school year.
The request will provide education for an estimated 11,114 students in both traditional and charter schools. That's up about 12 percent from the 2020-21 school year.

YOUNGSVILLE -- The Town of Youngsville's comprehensive plan has turned out to be more than just a guiding plan for its future.
In the present, it won the 2024 Vernon Deines Award from the American Planning Association's Small Town and Rural Planning Division.
The national award is given annually to an outstanding comprehensive plan or special project plan that addresses the development of a neighborhood, community, county, or region.

YOUNGSVILLE -- The Miracle League of Franklin County, along with community partners, held a special needs community day, offering fellowship and a chance for people to learn about special needs resources in the community.
The Light it up Blue Special Needs Community Day, held at Long Mill Elementary School on April 13, was part of efforts to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day.

A story in the April 11 edition of The Franklin Times incorrectly identified the affiliation of a community organization that was co-founded by Armenta Eaton.
Eaton, through her volunteer work and efforts received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
Among many things, Eaton co-founded the State Concerned Women for Justice.

Okay, you were warned but now it's happening!
All you armchair financial annalists need to sit up and take notice.
It's been local budget season for some time and the "crop" is about to be "harvested" in a way that will affect all of us.
There has been a fair amount of jockeying around in recent weeks -- and on Monday night the school board presented its budget request to the county commissioners.

It wasn't that long ago that I attended Franklin County meetings and it was like driving along a back road, midday, during the height of COVID lockdown -- there was no one there.
I could walk in 30 seconds before the meeting started, never have to worry about having a seat and, if I wanted to, I could lay down along the first row of seats if I was feeling kind of plucky.

Dear editor:
Franklin County School employees were notified last week that Franklin County Schools are eliminating school librarians beginning next school year.
The current media coordinators will be offered other classroom-based jobs in the district, and instructional assistants will be placed in libraries. The decision is being blamed on budget cuts and the ending of the COVID relief ESSER funding.

Dear editor:
It's great that at least one commissioner acknowledges the problem with the recent re-evaluation. I appreciate Commissioner Michael Schriver's candor.
However, wouldn't it be reasonable for the county commissioners and/or the appraisers to also take responsibility for FIXING the problem?
Why should individual property owners be required to appeal their evaluations when there is so much evidence that the appraisal process is badly flawed?

Dear editor:
Recently, Franklin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rhonda Schuhler and the Board of Education made the very difficult decision to eliminate the media center coordinators' (school librarians) position for next school year and move them into classroom positions.
Understandably, this was unpopular among many citizens of Franklin County.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Commissioners have set a May 9 public hearing to allow residents to weigh in on the town's 2024-25 spending plan.
During the board's March 8 work session, Town Manager Nathan Page presented commissioners with a budget that included significant projects -- including the beginning stages of funding a bypass, parks and recreation upgrades and capital expenses, such a s a $450,000 automated trash truck.

BUNN -- It took just 21 hours for the rematch of the 'Game of the Year' in the Big East Conference to be played -- and that brought a few key intangibles into play.
With rain in the forecast for last Thursday, Round Two of the Bunn-Northern Nash baseball showdown was moved up one day -- and the first game of the series had been staged Tuesday, with host Northern Nash rallying from a huge deficit to force extra innings before finally earning the tough victory in the bottom of the 11th stanza of action.