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LOUISBURG -- Essentially, Franklin County avoided major issues on the front- and back-end of Hurricane Florence.
In the middle of last week, forecasts had the Category 4 storm headed straight for central North Carolina and between 10 and 20 inches of rain were forecast for Franklin County.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners agreed to provide $233,000 to supplement the cost of providing full-time officers in the county's elementary schools.
Earlier this month, the school system announced that it received a $199,998 grant, less than half the $436,000 needed for salaries, benefits and equipment for the four additional officers needed to have full-time officers in each of the county's public schools -- save for the Franklin County Early College High School.

The driver and passenger in this sport utility vehicle avoided serious injury the morning of Sept. 14 when a falling tree crashed into the vehicle as they rode along N.C. 98 just west of U.S. 401, according to the State Highway Patrol.

FRANKLINTON -- Commissioners selected an interim town manager on Tuesday night.
But not before a handful of residents questioned the actions that led to the decision.
Commissioners fired former town manager Tammy Ray following a closed session on Aug. 21.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners went with an experienced hand when it nominated Commissioner Sidney Dunston to represent the county on the new hospital's board of trustees.
Commissioners were tasked with nominating four people to serve on the Maria Parham Medical Center Board of Trustees, but besides Dunston, the only other names mentioned tongue-in-cheek, were Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Superman, Spider-Man and Captain America.

New FHS baseball coach Donnie Ray

Soaked, soggy, saturated and safe!
That pretty much summed up Franklin County after the recent and seemingly never ending visit from what someone accurately described as an "uninvited brute."
The very slow moving and extremely wet storm pummeled the North Carolina coastline relentlessly from the Outer Banks to Southport with the southern-most areas the hardest hit. Our fragile Outer Banks were largely spared.

Perhaps the situation was best summed up by a school official who said that Franklin County residents have a lot to celebrate but that the county has room to improve its school performance numbers.
That was the word from Dr. Lela Baldwin, chief academic officer, of the county school system as she addressed a recent board of education meeting.

Earlier this month, Franklin County's Board of Commissioners were asked to be ready to nominate four people to serve on the Maria Parham Medical Center's Board of Trustees.
On Monday night, they did.
Commissioner Sidney Dunston bested (tongue-in-cheek) challenges from Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Superman, Spider-Man and Captain America.

Is it hard to believe people at the highest levels of our government conspired to undermine a presidential candidate or to remove a sitting president from office?
It is not unprecedented and has been attempted many times during our history. I do not understand how so many can deny it continues to play out.
The nefarious and clearly illegal attempts to deny Donald J. Trump the presidency and to now remove him from office is not a theory or supposition of ideas.

FRANKLINTON--Funeral services for Joe Edward Dunston, 70, who died Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, will be held Saturday, Sept. 22, at 3 p.m. at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg, with Pastor K. G. Hall officiating. Burial will follow in the Faith Missionary Church cemetery.

FRANKLINTON -- Don't be fooled by the fact that Donnie Ray has never served as a head coach.
Ray has plenty of experience as an assistant on the high school level in both football and baseball -- and has worked under some successful skippers, including the likes of Jimmy Williams, David Howle and Chris Cullom.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The effects of Hurricane Florence wiped out last week's high school football schedule in Franklin County -- but Bunn, Franklinton and Louisburg will be back in action this Friday.
Franklinton, with an undefeated record, was unable to be in action last week at Greenville Rose. Due to scheduling conflicts and the lack of open dates the rest of the way, that event probably will not be made up.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- When the high school football season kicked off back in August, it was a widely considered belief that the Big East Conference would be a top-heavy league.
That's because Southern Nash and Rocky Mount were expected to be conference powerhouses -- and for good reason.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina League has announced its honorary year-end All-Star team and the Carolina Mudcats, the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, have announced that pitcher Luke Barker was voted as the league's relief pitcher of the year.
Barker went 6-4 and pitched to a 2.21 ERA while leading the Carolina League with 20 saves and 38 games finished. He also totaled 63 strikeouts against 16 walks over 61.0 innings pitched and held opponents to a .213 average in 46 appearances (second most in the league).

WILSON -- The Wilson Tobs will host a College Prospects Camp on Oct. 24 at historic Fleming Stadium.
The event will run from 4-8:30 p.m., with Barton College head coach Jim Chester and East Carolina University assistant coach Hunter Allen serving as instructors.
All participants must be unsigned high school seniors, juniors or sophomores. Players will take part in a thorough skills evaluation process.

Dr. Kent Lyman will present music of Mozart, Liszt, and Beethoven at Cherry Hill on Sunday, Sept. 23. The performance will begin at 3 p.m.
Dr. Lyman is a Steinway Artist and coordinator of piano at Meredith College in Raleigh.
He is very active as a solo and collaborative performer, and is in demand as a presenter, clinician, master teacher, and adjudicator throughout the region and beyond.

Wayne Hicks was named the new assistant principal at Cedar Creek Middle Monday night by the Franklin County Board of Education last week, one of several personnel changes the board approved.
Hicks will join the veteran administrative team of Principal Bart Elliott and Assistant Principal Marian Ridgeway.

LOUISBURG -- In one of the more unusual -- and shortest -- Louisburg town council meetings in months, the town received a giant-sized check to aid its farmers market project, met the new Louisburg High School Principal and cast just one vote, approving renewal of the routine Asset Management Plan that is updated annually.
The check was presented by State Sen. John Alexander of Wake County who is vying to capture a newly redistricted seat that includes Franklin County.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested two residents on drug charges.
After executing a search warrant on MB's Lane -- the result of officers with the department's civil unit witnessing suspicious activity -- officers with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office drug unit and Community Action Team arrested Ellis Mitchell Jr. and Justine Hernandez, charging them each with possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, and possession of a weapon of mass destruction.

Gold Sand's Chris Edwards enjoys his new "ride" at Justice

Future farmers Lucy Bruce, 18 months, and Nora Brice, 3 of Raleigh

YOUNGSVILLE -- The youth movement in town is getting closer to reality.
Going back to the spring, high school junior Logan Harrison presented commissioners and residents with his plans to begin a Youth Advisory Board.
Ideally, the eight- to 20-member group would take an active interest in learning about local government and play an active role in community service.