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LOUISBURG -- The town of Louisburg unanimously accepted a gift of land Monday night that may help with efforts to develop local parks and the Depot Hill project.
The council also heard a presentation about the Downtown Strong project from Bruce Naegelen of the NC Department of Commerce which essentially said the town needs to hire an outside company to help -- and to hire a "social media" employee to coordinate its marketing efforts.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County celebrated the opening of its new county park, made possible by a grand gesture from a late Louisburg businessman.
The cutting of the ribbon at the park named after the parents of Edgar Owens -- V.E. and Leila -- marked the latest in a series of transformations for the 167-acre, central Franklin County property: going from a tobacco field, to an 18-hole golf course in the mid 1990s to the county's newest park.

LOUISBURG -- The window to file for a municipal office closes this Friday.
Or, does it?
At press time, only one person had filed for the two available seats on the Bunn Board of Commissioners.

Or, if not football, how about a track meet and bleachers filled with fans? At the moment it may take a heavy dose of your imagination to visualize what will happen to this site over the next several months, but this photo is taken from behind where the new Louisburg High School athletic complex scoreboard will be located. The view is from the north end of the field looking almost directly south.

Franklin County Parks and Rec Director Oliver Greene

Since these things usually don't occur in a vacuum, something that's happening "down East" is likely headed here -- and whether that's good or bad depends a lot on your personal perspective.
Seth Edwards, the district attorney for District 2, recently bragged that he personally delivered cease and desist letters to several sweepstakes businesses in his district (accompanied by armed ALE agents, of course) and authorized ALE agents to deliver the same notice to the rest of the sweepstakes businesses in his district, a total of 24.

Twenty-three years ago, a Marine F/A-18 pilot and a caravan of RVs drove across the desert, storming Area 51, demanding to be let inside.
To be fair, by that point, the existence of aliens was pretty much a given, but it was also the moment that the U.S. government had conceded and confirmed that Area 51 was indeed a government facility that, among other things, played a critical role in the actual concealment of alien activity on Earth.

RALEIGH - Glen H. Perry died peacefully on July 15, 2019 at the age of 82. Glen was raised in New Hope by his mother, Artelia Floyd. Glen grew up appreciating the value of hard work and the importance of God, family, and friends.

GREENSBORO -- Certainly, there was a sense of finality on several fronts for Darius Edmundson and Robbie Kennedy at Monday's East-West All-Star Boys Basketball Game at the historic Greensboro Coliseum.
The contest was slated to be the last-ever hoops competition for Edmundson, who starred this past season at Southern Nash High School under Kennedy's direction.

WENDELL -- During his time as a coach with the Louisburg Parks and Recreation Department, Chad Champion has always emphasized never giving up and battling all the way to the end.
That's exactly the traits Champion's club displayed during last week's action at the Tar Heel 9-10 Baseball District Tournament at Carver Elementary School in Wake County.

RED OAK -- Youngsville Rec was represented by two teams at the annual Statewide Athletics Committee Coach-Pitch Sectional Tournament, which was held last weekend at Ennis Park in Red Oak (Nash County).
One of those clubs -- the Youngsville Green -- picked up the championship at the six-team event.

GREENSBORO -- Jainaya Jones has tested herself against North Carolina's best in her relentless quest to be prepared for her freshman season as a member of the Louisburg College women's basketball squad.
Jones, a 5-foot-2 point guard, led her Pamlico County squad to the Class 1-A State Championship this past season with a strong 29-2 overall mark.

LOUISBURG -- Town and Country Swim Team's effective campaign continued two weeks ago with an impressive home victory against the Stonecreek Tsunamis from Wake County.
In a match that was previously rescheduled due to poor weather, Town and Country was able to secure a quality 180-127 triumph.

ROCKY MOUNT -- North Carollina Wesleyan College is planning an Alumni Summer Gathering on August 1 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Class A Carolina Mudcats baseball game in nearby Cattails Restaurant in Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-12, while children 3-under free.

WILMINGTON, DEL. -- Ryan Aguilar hit a solo home run in the first to extend his hitting streak to 11 straight games, but a three-run homer from Kyle Isbel in the third led the host Wilmington Blue Rocks to a series-clinching 3-2 victory versus the Carolina Mudcats on Sunday afternoon at Frawley Stadium.
Noah Zavolas started for Carolina (13-12, 52-42) and ended up with the loss after allowing Isbel's homer in the third.

RALEIGH -- Franklin County experienced a first on June 22 as a handful of competitors from the area took part in the US Grappling Tournament, which was held in Raleigh.
Three performers from the Louisburg Grappling Club were able to claim medals at the prestigious event.

Veteran members of the Town and Country Stingrays' swim team are (l to r) Enya Jones, Halie Turinsky, Robin Cash, Gavin Miller and Jayden Cash.

Town and Country coaches Shelby Cash and Mary Elizabeth Stevenson assist young swimmers during a recent home meet at the TC Pool, which is located in Louisburg.

Zachary Irvin takes a big swing for the Youngsville Yellow last Saturday against Nash County.

GERARD MOULTRIE (CENTER)

Jainaya Jones from Pamlico County is excited about having the opportunity to join the Louisburg College women's basketball program under veteran coach Shay Hayes.

Louisburg All-Star Braden Jackson makes a great play at second base during last Friday's victory over Knightdale at the Tar Heel District Baseball 9-10 Tournament, which was staged at Carver Elementary School Park in Wendell.

Wilson native Billy Farmer is one of North Carolina's best known contemporary realists with an impressionist eye for color and impressionist hand for lively brushwork.
He will be the featured artist for the Third Friday with the Artist from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 19, in downtown Louisburg.

A dual celebration unfolded Sunday afternoon on North Main Street in Louisburg when the O. Henry Book Club honored one of its members, Myrtle King, as she turned 100 years old.
Mrs. King, whose actual birthday was July 8, is a fixture around Louisburg where she has often been an out-spoken advocate for causes she believes in and is still spry and sharp as she hits the century mark.

The response has been very good for the Youngsville High School Reunion for all classes, organizers of the event report.
The event will be held at Hill Ridge Farms on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 4 until 9 p.m. This year, two former high school coaches who coached Youngsville High School to three NC State Basketball Championships in the 1-A Class will be honored, Coach Al Deporter and Coach Larry Lindsey. Many of the champion ball players will be present as well.

The clubhouse at the new Owens Park, named after Edgar Owens' parents, V.E. and Leila Owens, was packed as Amanda Maynard, foreground, left, told those gathered, including her mother, Vickie May, foreground, right, about the inspiration for the J.M. May Butterfly Garden, named after her father, former commissioner and legislator, John May. Below, a plaque in May's memory is also at the garden site.

Above, Tobias Wright, shows off an impressive form while playing soccer with his brother, Jordan Wright, not pictured. The grand opening for Owens Park featured a 5k walk/run, food trucks, music and games.

Louisburg first responders prepared to load Steve Hock, center, onto a stretcher following a Bickett Boulevard wreck on Monday. According to authorities, Hock was riding a motorcycle with his wife as a passenger heading north on Bickett when he attempted to pass a car using the left turn lane. The driver of the car, Michlyn Rinaldo of Louisburg, was attempting to make a left turn and the Hock's motorcycle clipped the front of the car, sending them to the ground.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners headed off a lawsuit by acquiescing to some development groups' rights, but standing firm on others.
A trio of developers were approved for 274 lots at the Olde Liberty subdivision in southern Franklin County back in 2005.
The county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) required that all streets within the platted development be designed and constructed to State Department of Transportation standards and, ultimately, the roads would be dedicated and maintained by DOT.

LOUISBURG -- The State Bureau of Investigation uncovered evidence in a murder case that prompted prosecutors to drop its case against a Youngsville man.
The move has Franklinton investigators renewing their call for people to come forward with information about the January death of Clarence Person Jr.
Officers responded to a home on Fairlane Avenue on Jan. 18 to find the 49-year-old dead from a gunshot wound.

FRANKLINTON -- An apparent child custody exchange sparked a hammer attack and gunfire.
None of the injuries proved serious, according to the report.
According to an incident report, Jeffery Allen, Anthony Stewart, Ashley Stewart and a few other people were meeting at Mitchiner's Crossroads Fire Department the evening of July 5 to facilitate the exchange when an altercation ensued.

LITTLETON -- Franklin County authorities played a role in what's being reported as the largest drug and money seizure in Halifax County's history.
Local authorities, though, are mum on the scope and their role in the investigation.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright said the federal Drug Enforcement Administration is leading the multi-agency, ongoing investigation and the sheriff's office didn't want to comment on the case.

LOUISBURG -- The case against a man accused of killing his father took another turn last week.
During a hearing on July 11, Superior Court Judge Lamont Wiggins allowed Charles Draughn to withdraw as legal counsel for Adam Helms, who is facing a second degree murder charge in the August 2017 death of Loy Helms.

SANFORD -- A man with Franklin County ties was recently tabbed as the chief executive officer of a major central North Carolina hospital network.
The FirstHealth of the Carolinas Board of Directors selected Mickey W. Foster as the health system's new CEO this spring and he began work on July 8.
Foster, the grandson of the late S.W. and Mary Sue Gupton of northeastern Franklin County, was most recently the president of Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital and Senior Vice President for Cone Health in Greensboro, NC, a position he has held since 2014.