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LOUISBURG -- The hearing to determine whether Clerk of Superior Court Patricia Chastain would keep her job was expected to continue today.
On July 13, Louisburg attorney Jeffrey Scott Thompson filed a petition to have Chastain removed from office, citing erratic behavior, potential substance abuse, abuse of power and disruption of court proceedings as rationale.
That same day, Franklin County Resident Senior Superior Court Judge John Dunlow suspended Chastain, pending a hearing to determine her professional fate.

LOUISBURG -- Back in August, Franklin County commissioners agreed to allocate water for 10 housing developments -- including one that was the basis of a federal lawsuit.
The decision, though, has not stopped the lawsuit.

The controversial Civil War monument, which once stood on Louisburg's North Main Street, was re-erected in the town's Oakwood Cemetery without fanfare on Saturday. It now stands among the graves of Civil War veterans after it and its large granite base were carefully reassembled. The monument was taken down in late summer after protests threatened to become violent. Town officials at the time pledged to relocate the monument to the cemetery and to replace it with a tribute to Franklin County's war dead from all wars.

LOUISBURG -- County commissioners have yet to collectively talk about the kinds of traits they'll seek in a new county manager.
And the county's human resources office has yet to advertise the position.
County Commission Chair Sidney Dunston said there's no rush.

HENDERSON -- The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments did not break bread at what would have been their annual banquet, but they did talk about bread in both the literal and figurative sense.
First, COG Executive Director Diane Cox updated the board on money they've made available to businesses crippled by COVID-19.

LOUISBURG -- Whether you're new to Franklin County and trying to sort through the complex history of this region or your family has been here for generations and you'd intrigued by a look back, a new book may provide a fascinating glimpse into the history of Franklin County.
About to be published is a 148-page paperback book entitled "A History of Franklin County" which traces local history from the days when this area was inhabited by Native Americans until today -- and it includes a great deal of little-known details about this region.

Youngsville's Brandi Dennison

Normally, when we reporter types talk about what's in the news, we're talking about things that are happening.
In recent days, however, much of the news has centered around things that aren't happening -- and that's not only more difficult to cover, it's also more difficult to get people's attention focused on topics that they should be watching.
In last week's edition, for example, the lead story in our newspaper was about a "stump dump" being considered near Kittrell in neighboring Vance County.

This time of year is always difficult to navigate, and I'm not just talking about getting in and out of intersections that are blocked by campaign signs.
I'm talking about the balancing act of trying to inform voters about candidates while not getting lost in that candidate's campaign spiel.
Years ago, I remember sending out candidate questionnaires and then writing narrative stories about each race.
It was a mistake.

Dear editor: The time to be quiet and stand back and do nothing is over.
It is time to stand up, honor, respect, and live by the word of God. There have been a lot of things happening in the course of the last several years, but my faith remains.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton High School has been enjoying a softball renaissance the past few seasons -- and the fruits of FHS' labor aren't just on display near the top of the Big East Conference standings.
Several Lady Rams are now getting the opportunity to compete at the college level.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Some area counties have started off-season sports workouts again, but Franklin County is still in a holding pattern.
Franklin County is currently in Plan C mode, which means all learning is being done virtually as opposed to in-person.
"As long as we are in Plan C, it's my understanding that there will be no sports,'' said BHS Athletic Director Chris Lewis.

BLACKSBURG, VA. -- Southern Nash alum Zonovan 'Bam' Knight rushed for a team-high 94 yards, but it wasn't enough as North Carolina State University dropped a 45-24 road decision at Virginia Tech last Saturday night in Atlantic Coast Conference football action.
Franklin County native Ricky Person Jr. also had a strong outing for NC State as he ran 13 times for 64 yards and hauled in a pair of passes for 11 yards.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy confirmed Monday that running back Tarik Cohen tore his right ACL Sunday in Atlanta and will miss the rest of the season.
Cohen was injured early in the fourth quarter of the Bears' 30-26 comeback win when, after fair-catching a punt, Atlanta's Brian Hill rolled into his leg.

Franklinton High School's Rianna Layton (left) got the ball rolling for the Lady Rams' recent surge in softball signings when she inked a letter-of-intent to join the always-successful diamond program at Louisburg College. Layton is entering her freshman campaign for the Lady Hurricanes under Coach Eric Lee.

Crosscreek Charter School in Louisburg held its official grand opening and ribbon cutting Sept. 25. Crosscreek Charter, a K-8 school, began construction on the new building in the spring of 2019. Shown here are (left to right) Haven Allen, board member; Jason Patrick, board vice president; Robin Jackson, school director; Mike Senter, board president; Nick Leapley, board member; and Dustin Moore, board treasurer.

A cloudy, cool September day provided a perfect time to relocate Louisburg's Confederate monument to Oakwood Cemetery -- and the project came off without a hitch. The photo above shows the monument in its new location, still facing south, just as it did for more than 100 years on North Main Street.

LOUISBURG -- A study designed to help the county identify and expand its water capacity is expected to be completed next week.
It was not clear when the study would be presented to county commissioners or the public, though.
In November, the county hired Southern Pines-based MBD Consulting Engineers to conduct a water supply study in hopes of identifying and securing more of the resource.

Union Bank employees raised $1,329.37, during their "Dress Down for Charity" event to support Safe Space, a local non-profit that is committed to reducing sexual assault and relationship violence in this area. Union Bank holds "Dress Down Fridays" throughout the year, allowing employees to donate to charity in order to dress down. The money raised is donated to support local non-profit organizations within the communities they serve.

WINNER, WINNER. The winner of the grand prize for the Ducky Derby went to Aubree Calamaco from Louisburg, one of 3,900 children enrolled in Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start's literacy program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. First place garnered Chick-fil-A for a year (52 meal tickets). Pictured, from left to right, are: Samantha Calamaco holding Aubree; Wanda Hunt, FGV Program Manager, and Gina Eaves, Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A of Henderson.