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YOUNGSVILLE -- After 18 months of planning, about 50 individual sessions with property owners and two public hearings, town commissioners approved a document that will help guide growth for the next 20 years.
Resident and property owner Jim Moss, though, hoped the board might take at least one more month to approve the Youngsville Development Ordinance.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Authorities are investigating an infant death.
Officers and first responders arrived at a home in the 300 block of E. Main Street just after midnight on Jan. 13 to find the nine-month-old girl unresponsive.
The baby, identified by WRAL as Brianna Franklin Branch, was taken to WakeMed where she was pronounced dead.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Family, friends, town and county leaders said goodbye to a man who has dedicated decades of his life to public service.
Going back to the early 2000s, Graham Stallings had a stint as an administrator in the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, was the county's animal control director for a six-year span when that department went through an infrastructure and policy overhaul, and served as a town commissioner for the past 12 years before opting not to seek re-election.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners agreed to sell the old town hall and police department property, with legal stipulations as to when the property would be ready for use and a gentlemen's agreement as to how it's developed.
The town moved out of the property in the spring of 2017 and agreed to sell the two 1950s-era buildings on N. Cross Street about a year later.

LOUISBURG -- After the Franklin County Board of Education quickly worked its way through a relatively light agenda Monday night, School Supt. Rhonda Schuhler forewarned them that things will begin to change over the next few weeks.
On Monday, the school district received some major good news in the form of an "unmodified opinion" about the recent audit of school finances by the auditing firm of Dixon Hughes Goodman.

Travis Pressley, 9, presented area officers with donuts and other goodies during National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day last week. His mother, Takeemah Pressley, said he was having behavioral issues in school and School Resource Officer Sgt. Joe Sherrill took the time to talk with him and befriend him. Travis has since taken efforts to thank law enforcement officers for their work. Above, Pressley hangs out with Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Det. Cale Wood.

Youngsville Officer A. Allen taking part in Shop with a Cop.

If you're one of those folks who loves to toss a juicy hamburger on the grill and when it's done, slap on some lettuce, a slice of 'mater, a little ketchup and/or mustard and enjoy a heart-unhealthy burger once in a while, you've got about 15 more years to enjoy that experience.
Likewise, if tossing a steak on the grill and getting it just so is your idea of a good meal, you are also on borrowed time.

Starting this Saturday, residents in and around Franklin County -- and across the world, for that matter -- will have an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
First, the Franklinton Martin Luther King Jr. Committee is set to host its annual MLK celebration on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.

Dear editor:
As Judge Manning noted in his order from October 25, 2000, "the most common sense and practical approach to the problem of providing at-risk children with an equal opportunity to obtain a sound basic education is for them to begin their opportunity to receive that education earlier than age (5) five so that those children can reach the end of third grade able to read or do math, or achieve academic performance at or above grade level."

Dear editor:
Confusion, division, and disagreement thrive in religion. Religious people are divided into hundreds of different denominations, using different names, worshipping in different ways, and teaching different doctrines. Religious disagreement, division, and confusion are not caused by God or His word.

Dear editor:
As I have watched the events over the last several weeks, I wonder about our elected officials and the news media in Washington, DC.
Most Americans that work in manufacturing, construction and the trucking business are subject to annual and random drug testing.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Betty Malone Perry, 71, who died Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, at 2 p.m. at Cedar Rock Baptist Church in Castalia, with the Rev. Sylvester White officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Ida Kelly, 94, who died Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. at Haywood Baptist Church, Louisburg, with the Rev. Rachel Drumgold officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

LOUISBURG - Sherman B. Dorsey, 89, died at his home on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. A Celebration of Resurrection was held Sunday, Jan. 12, at White Level Baptist Church, Louisburg. Burial followed in the Dorsey family cemetery. He was born in Louisburg, the second of eight children of the late Beecher and Emily Honeycutt Dorsey. He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the 82nd Airborne division.

CREEDMOOR--Tyrone Thorpe of Creedmoor died Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. His life will be celebrated at 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Jan. 16, at Hawkins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 2199 Grove Hill Road, Franklinton (Granville County). Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

FRANKLINTON -- Tom Harris took a bit of a walk into the unknown this summer when he became the head coach of the Franklinton High School volleyball program.
As with any coaching switch, it was a bit of a journey into the unknown for Harris.
But little did he know at the time that he already had a 'coach on the floor' in rising senior Denise Burk.

FRANKLINTON -- This much is for certain after one week of Big East Conference boys basketball action -- all teams in the league are capable of defeating each other on a given night.
Franklinton proved that assessment to be correct when the Red Rams used a buzzer-beater in their conference opener to defeat Wilson Fike by a 65-62 margin.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Franklinton continues to make waves in the Big East Conference swim standings -- and even boasted a pair of winners during last Thursday's league meet at the Harrison Family YMCA in Nash County.
FHS' Hannah Van Vlack was exceptional in the Girls 100 Breaststroke as she rolled to a first-place finish with a time of 1:23.24.

RALEIGH -- Elijah Jamison was sharp on a big stage for Louisburg High School's boys basketball team at the Phenom Hoops City of Oaks Classic.
Taking on host North Raleigh Christian Academy, Jamison delivered a double-double of 40 points and 17 rebounds, and the Warriors overcame a late deficit to claim a 65-57 decision.

WILSON -- The 45th Annual Wilson Hot Stove League Banquet is scheduled for January 21 at 6 p.m. at the Recreation Park Community Center.
Cost is $25 per person, which includes a catered meal from Parker's Barbecue.
USA Baseball President Mike Gaski will be the featured speaker.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton and Rocky Mount are expected to contend for the top spots in the Big East Conference girls basketball standings -- and the clubs did little to dispel that notion during last Friday's early-season league thriller at the FHS Gymnasium.
The talented teams took turns clutching the momentum, and each squad held a double-digit lead at some point in the hard-fought contest.

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash has a rich history of sending softball standouts to play at Louisburg College.
Legends such as Sherry Boone, Kym Lamm, Dana Shelton and Brandy Winstead, among others, have exchanged the red and blue of Southern Nash for the red and blue of Louisburg.

LOUISBURG -- Two of Louisburg's football championship teams were honored last Saturday as part of a banquet at Terrell Lane Middle School.
The honorees were the 2019 Terrell Lane Tornadoes and the 2019 Louisburg Mighty Mites.
TLMS went undefeated back in the fall and roared to the Middle Athletic Conference championship with a final-game victory over long-time rival Bunn.

(L to R) Rocky Mount's Caroline Thiel and Franklinton's Semirah Duffie try to garner a rebound during last Friday's conference showdown at the FHS Gymnasium.

HEADING TO LC. Franklinton High School's Rianna Layton (left) signed a letter-of-intent last week to continue her softball career at Louisburg College under the direction of veteran head coach Eric Lee. For a story on Layton's signing, see next week's edition.

Robbie Burnett has been excellent at the guard spot this season for the Franklinton High School Red Rams under second-year head coach Darrin Stinson.

LOUISBURG -- Police are investigating a purse snatching that happened outside an area motel.
According to authorities, an employee was leaving the Days Inn on Sandalwood Avenue at about 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 10 when someone snatched her purse in the parking lot.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners agreed to install some traffic-control devices they hope will improve safety and traffic flow.
Residents along Nassau, Persimmon and Cross streets responded to a survey, expressing their favor for two plans:

YOUNGSVILLE -- Congressman David Price is set to hold a town hall-style meeting next week. Following redistricting, Franklin County has been included in Price's 4th Congressional District.
After visiting with members of the education and business communities earlier in the day on Jan. 21, Price is slated to host a public town hall meeting at Wake Electric's training room from 3-4 p.m.

LOUISBURG -- A number of patrol efforts by police led to a number of drug arrests.
On Jan. 10, officers arrested Anjoylus Brinkley III in the 700 block of N. Bickett Boulevard.
Brinkley was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine, selling cocaine and maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for the sale of a controlled substance.

The Youngsville Police Department, with the help of donations, held its first Shop with a Cop event prior to the Christmas holiday. The department hosted 12 children and their families, treating them to a meal on Dec. 17 before taking them on a shopping spree. Above, Officer M. McAdams captures the moment with Anjelle Jones. "It was a huge hit," said Police Chief Greg Whitley, noting that Officer M. Parrish was key in organizing the festivities, which the department expects to become an annual event. "I think our officers enjoyed it just as much as the kids did."

YOUNGSVILLE -- A 16-year-old and a passenger were rushed to the hospital over the weekend following a single-vehicle wreck.
Injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.
According to a report by Officer R. Morris, the 16-year-old was heading north along U.S. 1-A when he rounded a curve and ran off the road to the left just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.

LOUISBURG -- An local attorney surrendered to authorities this week.
Christopher F. Wrenn Jr., 35, was arrested late Tuesday afternoon and charged with two counts of conspiracy to sell or deliver cocaine.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright said investigators could not provide many more details.

The Louisburg Town Council has postponed its regular January meeting, which was scheduled to fall on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
Instead, of meeting on Monday, Jan. 20, the town board will next meet at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 17.
All town council meetings are open to the public.

The annual Beef Marketing meeting was held in December at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Center in Louisburg. Dr. Chris Prevatt from the University of Florida was the guest speaker, forecasting beef cattle cycles and pricing trends via a Zoom meeting.

The annual meeting of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation was recently held at the Sheraton Four Seasons and Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.
Franklin County Farm Bureau President Steve Nelms was recognized among his peers at the Presidents' and Agents' Luncheon.