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The local Christmas season began officially Tuesday night when the town of Louisburg hosted its second annual Christmas tree lighting celebration on the Courthouse Square and with other area communities planning Christmas parades and other holiday-related events beginning this weekend. See the story to the right for details. This photo shows the tree at the moment of lighting while the mass choir from South Main Street Baptist Church performs at the lower right of the photo.

Franklin County visitors and residents will have a myriad opportunities to celebrate this festive season.
• Alert
The Alert Christmas Parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, with line-up starting at 1 p.m.

LOUISBURG -- "Don't panic, but take action."
Franklin County Health Director Scott LaVigne offered those words of caution to commissioners last week as part of a campaign to inform Franklin County residents about the potential dangers of radon gas, uranium and radium that could be present in the water and air of property owners with well water.

Emily Waltz, 8, is ready to begin serving dinner rolls.

LOUISBURG -- In a meeting lasting barely a half hour last week, the Louisburg Town Council managed to spend more than $600,000 for a new fire truck and changed the makeup of the town's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.
After pondering the issue for nearly a year, the council agreed to order a new Pierce pumper truck from Atlantic Emergency Solutions.

Ashley, George & Charlotte Taylor, and Diane Taylor Torrent

It seems difficult to believe, but the turkey has been roasted and carved -- and we're suddenly on a straight, fast ride to the Christmas holiday season.
Not sure how all that happened, exactly, but with the turkey just a fading memory, almost everyone's attention has turned to scenes of red and green -- and worries about how to get ready for Santa's visit.

Well, they did it again.
That's eight in a row -- and the feat seems -- seems -- to be getting easier and more organized every year. Well, maybe not easier but certainly well organized and very effective.
The "it" is the Community Thanksgiving Dinner that has been held each Thanksgiving Day for the last eight years.

So, look, after 24 years of actively working as a news gatherer, in one form or another, it's hard to remain an optimist in this business -- but I've worked hard to do so.
Admittedly, it's not the easiest thing to do.

RALEIGH--Funeral services for James "Skidder" Williams, 59, who died Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, will be held Sunday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m. at Mitchner's Grove Baptist Church, Franklinton, with Pastor Melvin Jackson officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Mack Arthur Miles, 73, of Bunn, died on Nov. 26, 2018.

BUNN -- It took awhile, but David Howle finally has his deserved spot in the Bunn High School Hall of Fame.
Howle, who was BHS' long-time legendary football coach, was part of the 2018 HOF Class and was supposed to be inducted back during basketball season.
However, Howle had a prior commitment and was unable to attend, so the decision was made to honor Howle during a regular season football game this fall.

HAVELOCK -- During its sterling season, Franklinton has displayed a penchant for refusing to fold when faced with a huge deficit -- even against some of the area's top powerhouses.
That intangible was on display once again last Friday as the never-say-die Red Rams stayed close with state titan Havelock through the midpoint of the third period before seeing the home team pull away for a 64-30 decision in the second round of the Class 3-A State Football Playoffs.

WAKE FOREST -- One of the state's top high school girls soccer players resides in Franklin County -- but not for long.
Kennedy Capps, who lives in Youngsville and attends Franklin Academy, recently signed a letter-of-intent to continue her soccer career at Western Carolina University.

BUNN -- Even the most ardent supporters of boys high school basketball in Franklin County would have experienced difficulty in reciting the rosters before Tuesday's rivalry clash between Franklinton and homestanding Bunn.
Both clubs have a slew of new faces and are rebuilding with lineups comprised mostly of underclassmen.

BUNN -- Expectations are different these days within the girls basketball programs at Franklinton and Bunn.
FHS' inaugural campaign in the Big East Conference in 2017-18 proved to be a profitable one -- and the Lady Rams are looking for even bigger things this winter, thanks to the return of the majority of their lineup.

CHAPEL HILL -- Listed are the brackets for the Class 3-A State Football Championships, which will enter the third round this week:

LOUISBURG -- The visiting Louisburg College men's basketball team captured its first road victory of the 2018-19 season on November 17, besting Region XX power, College of Southern Maryland, 107-101 in a non-region contest.
The Hurricanes (4-2) got off to a quick start, leading at one point 11-2, but College of Southern Maryland fought to tie the game 20-20 by the 12-minute mark in the first half.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Cedar Creek Middle School celebrated its 20th anniversary in style this fall -- with yet another Middle Athletic Conference football championship.
The MAC title is nothing new to the Jaguars, who have won four of them since 2010, along with a trio of runner-up finishes.
In the crown contest, the Jaguars tangled with Northern Granville two weeks ago and was able to secure a 24-18 triumph in an overtime thriller at the Franklinton Middle School (old Franklinton High School) Football Field.

MILWAUKEE - Baseball America has named the Milwaukee Brewers as its 2018 Organization of the Year.
The announcement was made recently by Executive Editor of Baseball America J.J. Cooper.
"We honored the Brewers as our Organization of the Year not just because they had a very successful big league season," said Cooper.

Senior running back Kendall Harris was spectacular this season for the Franklinton Red Rams. He capped off his campaign -- and prep career -- last Friday with a 148-yard rushing performance during FHS' road playoff loss against Havelock.

For eight years, A Blessing, Inc., has joined hands to create a Community Thanksgiving Dinner, connecting those in need with resources, great food and fellowship.
These photos give a small indication of the effort that goes into the event.
In the photo above, turkey "maestro" Phil Mueller checks a few of the 19 turkeys and several hams that he began grilling just after daylight in anticipation of the dinner.

In the photo above, smiling servers scoop up the feast and load the plates of those attending. Volunteers not only served the food and drinks but some cleaned tables and tableware while others worked in the kitchen.

In the photo above, Benita Edgerton holds her daughter Hazel Judd. Often young people join their parents in volunteering to help -- and perhaps Hazel will be among them in a few years, although she was just eight weeks old this Thanksgiving -- but there is always next year and one day soon, her first turkey leg!

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved updates to airport rules and regulations that should keep the airport looking professional and better controls who accesses the facility, among other things.
The Franklin County Airport Commission first approved rules and regulations when the county first created the facility in 1993.

FRANKLINTON -- During a meeting chock full of stuffing before Thanksgiving, commissioners took action to bolster business, fix streets and improve the town's appearance and support a youth organization.
First, the board adopted the Brunch Bill ordinance, which allows licensed establishments to begin selling alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sundays.

SPRING HOPE -- A Franklin County man is slated to appear in court next week on gun, drug and moonshine charges.
Officers with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office's Drug Unit and Special Response Team arrested Michael Jermaine Jackson on Nov. 19, bringing more than a dozen counts of of drug, gun and other charges against the 34-year-old.

LAKE ROYALE -- Officers in Franklin County helped Wake County authorities arrest a Lake Royale man on robbery charges.
Wake Forest and Apex authorities allege Dean D. Pratt of Carriage Circle was responsible for two armed robberies at salons in those two cities over the weekend.
Wake Forest police said a man, later identified as Pratt, entered the Supercuts at 12520-501 Capital Boulevard at about 1:10 p.m. Sunday and demanded money while displaying a knife.

FRANKLINTON -- Authorities continue to investigate the connection between a felony weapons arrest and two shootings in two weeks' time.
Officers -- who were following up on leads related to an incident involving a man being shot on Nov. 5 and gunfire fired into a house on Nov. 10, -- conducted a search warrant on Nov. 19 at a home in the 100 block of Dogwood Street.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Elections made the general election official recently when it completed canvassing.
The final tallies didn't effect any races.
• Incumbent Sheriff Kent Winstead beat out a challenge by Republican Jerry Jones, 15,356 votes to 10,096.