Archives

LOUISBURG -- A man authorities allege killed three people over a $2,200 debt will spend the rest of his life in jail.
Superior Court Judge James E. Hardin Jr. handed down the sentence on Monday after Darius R. Robinson entered an Alford plea -- which doesn't admit guilt, but concedes that prosecutors have enough evidence to prove their case.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Staff presented commissioners with a $2.9 million budget that lowers the tax rate, provides more pay and resources for employees and raises some fees.
Residents can take a look at the spending plan by contacting town hall in preparation of a May 9 public hearing on the matter.

A spring storm rolled across much of the country over the weekend and, about 2 a.m. Monday, the high winds it brought toppled a large tree along Louisburg's South Main Street. As it fell, the tree hit overhead power lines and managed to drag down four power poles and related equipment, including the transformer shown here.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council agreed to "make a little" while hoping to start the renovation of a long-vacant building downtown.
Several months ago, the town purchased the former Perry medical clinic building at 118 North Main Street for about $96,000. then did about $40,000 worth of work, including cleanup and painting the exterior.

LOUISBURG -- According to residents, the county's parks and recreation program needs to add, among other things, more facilities, including a pool, more greenways and more outdoor festivals.
And, they need to be closer to home.

Cindy Flowers, left, and Cindy Bennett, right, douse runners Lisa Oden and Landon Flowers with colored corn starch during the second annual Youngsville Color Run last Saturday. Race proceeds benefit parks and recreation.

Pamela Foster, Mcshell Edmonds, Valerie Williams and Sandra Thorpe

If you can ignore the clouds of yellow pollen -- or at least pretend they don't exist -- it's a great time of the year.
And that's especially true if you like to eat.
If you hadn't already noticed, strawberries are coming in -- and getting sweeter by the day -- and a lot of other early spring crops are becoming available.

The pending budget decision by the Franklin County commissioners will be critical for the county school system -- but the process, dare we say logic, behind the eventual decision could be enlightening.
The school board is requesting $22,349,831 to fully fund the county schools for the 2019-20 school year.

Like a lot of people, I sat near a screen on Tuesday and watched a rapidly building conflagration spread across the atmosphere.
Yes. The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was on fire and towers of flames and plumes of smoke colored the sky.
But, faster than the red hue signaling the combustion of centuries old materials could fill the frames of our television sets and computer monitors, misinformation was chugging through the information superhighway like a locomotive.

BUNN -- South Granville entered last Wednesday's softball meeting at Bunn with a 35-game overall winning streak, including a state championship last season.
In fact, SG's last regular season loss came against the Ladycats way back in 2016, and that fate was repeated as Bunn put together its best performance of the campaign when it mattered the most.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College saw its seven-game baseball winning streak snapped Tuesday as part of a non-conference home meeting against Catawba Valley Community College.
The visiting Buccaneers delivered four runs in the top of the eighth frame and then held off the Hurricanes to register a 9-8, nine-inning triumph at historic Frazier Field on the LC campus.

LOUISBURG -- South Granville was faced with an almost unheard-of proposition when the Lady Vikings visited Louisburg last Friday for a pivotal Northern Carolina Conference softball matchup.
SG, the defending state champion, had already lost two games for the week -- a setback at Bunn and an upset defeat versus Vance County.

STANHOPE -- Once a basketball-only standout at Southern Nash High School, Darius Edmundson will now concentrate on football on the next level. Edmundson, a senior defensive back/wide receiver, has accepted an offer to join the gridiron program at nearby Louisburg College.
Edmundson finalized his decision as part of a signing ceremony last Wednesday at the SNHS Media Center.

FRANKLINTON -- It's a rare occasion when high school sporting events begin on one day -- and come to a conclusion several days later.
But that circumstance is more common this spring as rain has moved schedules and forced already-started contests to be temporarily washed away.
Such was the case of last week's Big East Conference diamond meeting between Southern Nash and Franklinton at the FHS Baseball Field.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College's softball team turned a negative into a positive last Saturday during its annual Sophomore Day.
With the weather not cooperating and a scheduled doubleheader called off, the Lady Hurricanes instead hosted a 'banquet' of sorts under the roof in the training facility at Sheilah R. Cotten Field.

ALLENDALE, S.C. -- Any coach, regardless of sport, wants to see his or her club competing at peak performance near the end of the season.
That's exactly what is happening with the Louisburg College baseball team after the Hurricanes swept a four-contest Region X series last weekend at the University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie.

ELON -- No. 12 East Carolina University got home runs from Spencer Brickhouse (three-run), Bryant Packard (solo) and Jake Washer (solo), while Evan Odum tossed a career-high 3.2 innings with six strikeouts in a 9-4 baseball win over Elon Tuesday night at Latham Park.
With the win, the Pirates improve to 26-10 on the year, while the Phoenix fell to 21-16.

Catawba Valley's Jackson Brown scores off a passed ball as Louisburg College pitcher Luke Davis awaits the throw during Tuesday's non-region baseball game at Frazier Field.

Bunn High School's Liz Parrish rips a single during last Wednesday's victory versus South Granville.

Louisburg High School catcher Chelsea Roberson attempts a throw to second base during last Friday's home softball showdown against rival South Granville.

Franklinton High School's Layton Perry (right) slides into third base and would eventually score a run for the Red Rams during last Wednesday's game vs. Southern Nash.

Louisburg College's Drew Camp (right) is greeted by teammates after scoring a run during Tuesday's home game versus Catawba Valley.

During the early nineteenth century, residents of eastern North Carolina dreaded such ailments as "bilious fever," typhoid fever, and especially malaria.
According to his obituary in the Raleigh Register, Matthew Dickinson, the first headmaster of Franklin Academy in Louisburg, died in September 1809 of "a bilious fever which he had caught on a journey in the low country."

Louisburg Lions Club will present award-winning Elvis tribute artist Stephen Freeman for a special benefit concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, in the Norris Theatre at the Seby Jones Performing Arts Center at Louisburg College. Freeman has been a tribute artist since 1998. Fans from around the world in 2010 and 2011 voted him Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year, as polled by Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc.

Last weekend's rainy weather foiled some plans for Easter Egg hunts around the county, but little Aubreé Solomon, 5, discovered the Easter Bunny hopping around the streets in downtown Louisburg one day this week -- and quickly made a friend! Young Miss Solomon and a lot of other children may be in luck this Saturday.

Mary Easterling of Wake Forest was the winner of the $1,000 prize during the annual Wake Electric annual meeting on March 22. Presenting the money is Reuben Matthews, president of Wake Electric board of directors.