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LOUISBURG -- It would cost the county more than $22 million to fund the capital improvements outlined in its latest parks and recreation comprehensive master plan.
But, there were two things that Alfred Benesch and Company Senior Project Manager Jon Wood wanted county commissioners to know:

Rain during Friday night's Franklin County Relay for Life didn't dampen the spirits of those that turned out for the American Cancer Society fundraiser. Photo above: Rosetta Sykes (left) and Recie Davis take a stroll in the rain.

MEBANE -- Alamance County authorities allege a Bunn man was one of three suspects in a kidnapping and assault that left a man nearly beaten to death.
David Steele Richardson, 26, of Bunn, surrendered to Franklin County authorities over the weekend.
According to reports, authorities allege Richardson, Samuel M. Murrell, 29, and Britney Darnell, 29, both of Mebane, are responsible for the near-death of Shawn Noble of Raleigh.

FRANKLINTON -- In 1979, Novozymes opened its first production facility and administration buildings in what was a hay field in Franklinton.
The $15 million investment resulted in the hire of 15 employees in a county of just under 30,000 people.
Forty years later, Franklin County has more than doubled its population, that field in Franklinton has long been Novozymes' North American headquarters and they've invested nearly half a billion dollars in the operation.

From left, JoAnn Allman and Shirley Gosse pick out a fresh basket of strawberries from Sandra Leonard with Wood's Strawberries during the Cooperative Extension's annual Strawberry Festival last Friday at the Franklin County Farmers' Market in Louisburg.

Lorenzo Stancil wowed the crowd with his rendition of the National Anthem

Oh, my ... tell me it ain't so! Please!!
The county recently announced that its 10-year walk in the wilderness is coming to an end and the ribbon will be cut officially opening the V. E. and Lydia Owens Park on Monday, May 13.
There is a fly in the punch bowl, however.

Every year about this time, hundreds of people from all around Franklin County set aside their differences and come together in a unified effort to defeat one of the scourges of humanity.
Last Friday night, the annual Relay for Life was held at the Wildcats' athletic field at Bunn High School -- but even an uninvited "guest's" frequent appearances didn't dampen spirits, at least for long.

I came across a story that was a few years old, but it was a bit new to me.
It was a story about a Massachusetts firefighter who started a firestorm because of a post on social media.
According to the story by Dan Limmer, a paramedic himself, the firefighter posted this on his Facebook page:

Dear editor:
As Chad Barefoot leaves to start his next adventure at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., I write this to express appreciation for his service to Franklin County.

Dear editor:
Thank you, Carey Johnson, for the article you've written, with the headline "What Should Franklin County be in 2040?" Residents have a chance to influence how the future will unfold.

LOUISBURG -- Charles Edward Broughton, III, 80, passed away Sunday, May 5, 2019. He was born April 22, 1939 in Durham County to the late Charles Edward Broughton, II and Louise Briley Broughton. He worked as an underwriter for Nationwide Insurance.

LOUISBURG -- Redemption can sometimes take a lifetime to attain -- but the wait will be only one week for members of the Louisburg College softball team.
Last weekend, with the Region X regular season crown on the line, the Lady Hurricanes were swept in a three-game series at Pitt Community College.
The prize for winning the regular season title is the top seed in the upcoming Region X Tournament, which will begin Thursday at Springwood Park in Burlington.

BUNN -- Whether it be county bragging rights or spots in the Northern Carolina Conference standings, something is always at stake when Bunn and Louisburg meet on the baseball diamond.
Last week's series was no different as the Wildcats were jousting for first place in the NCC, while the Warriors were looking to improve their potential playoff seed on the Class 1-A level.

LOUISBURG -- Trevor Highfield arrived in Franklin County 11 years ago and liked living here so much that he put down roots in the area by building a house and becoming actively involved in the community in his role as Louisburg College's football coach. Still, Highfield missed the Great Northwest, where he was born and raised in Oregon before starring on the gridiron at the University of Washington, where he played in two Rose Bowls and was part of a national championship team.

FRANKLINTON -- Veteran head coach Clennie Wilkins wasn't sure what to expect when senior standout Shea Seward -- a defending state champion and threat in both sprinting and jumping events -- was unable to compete this season for the Franklinton High School girls track and field squad due to a knee injury.
Seward, a Fayetteville State signee, gobbled up points at important meets on a consistent basis, so Wilkins didn't know if his club's overall depth would stand up to her loss.

CHOCOWINITY -- When it comes to competition, some people rely on superstition, some on luck, and in the game of golf, some might even call on the golf gods to benefit their game.
Unfortunately, for Louisburg High School, very few options surfaced that would help the Warrior participants during Tuesday's action in the Class 1-A Eastern Regionals.

LEXINGTON, S.C. -- Louisburg College entered the Region X Baseball Tournament with plenty of momentum thanks to a late-season surge.
But the Hurricanes, after an extra-inning victory over USC-Union in the first round, ran out of steam from there and dropped the next two contests of the double-elimination event at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium in the Palmetto State.

BUNN -- The potent, high-powered arm of Caroline White has been well-documented, but the Bunn High School junior pitcher can also oversee her share of damage at the plate.
That was evident Tuesday as White, a junior standout, pitched and hit the Ladycats to a 2-0 victory over Ledford in the opening round of the Class 2-A State Softball Playoffs on the BHS campus.

LOUISBURG -- Four Louisburg College student-athletes earned honors last weekend on the All-Region X Baseball Team for the 2019 campaign.
LC's Phillip Boykin, a freshman outfielder, was picked for the First Team, while sophomore catcher Derek Neal and sophomore outfielder Justin Oakley were tabbed for the Second Team.

Louisburg High School's Jaheim Brown (left) awaits the throw as Bunn's Aidan McKeithan attempts to steal second base during last Thursday evening's conference baseball meeting on the BHS campus.

The Franklin County Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District recognized Franklin County Schools students during the 23rd Annual Franklin Soil & Water Conservation District Awards Program.
Held recently at the Franklin County Agriculture Building Annex in Louisburg, students, parents and teachers enjoyed a pizza supper before the annual program.

SAN ANTONIO -- A Bunn High alum completed basic training for the U.S. Air Force.
Airman Jayson Brooks graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
Brooks completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

RICHMOMD, VA. -- The Middle School Band at Crosscreek Charter School secured first place and a superior rating at its first band festival.
Longtime Louisburg High and Terrell Lane Middle School band director Brian Miller started the band program at Crosscreek four years ago and his work paid off in the band's performance at the festival at King's Dominion.

LOUISBURG -- Police are looking for suspects who stole items from unlocked vehicles within blocks of each other.
First, a resident in the 200 block of John Street reported the morning of May 4 that someone took items from a vehicle parked there.
The morning of May 5, a resident in the 100 block of Williamson Street reported a theft from a vehicle at that location.

In the photo above, Zachary Ayscue, 9, and Dustin Roland, 14, braved the wet weather to remember their "Pa and Mama" in the fight against cancer. Although showers dampened Relay participants, the rainfall didn't dampen spirits one bit!

LOUISBURG -- A couple months ago, Franklin County tabbed a new airport director who was slated to start work on April 15.
By April 18, the county was posting the position, again.
During a meeting in March, county management and airport personnel introduced John Wiatrak as its new airport director.