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LOUISBURG -- Franklin County health workers are planning to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, but we're months away from having enough of the vaccine to cover healthcare workers, let alone the public, health officials said.
Health Director Scott LaVigne updated commissioners on the state of the pandemic in Franklin County during the board's Dec. 7 meeting, noting that there were 2,266 cases of the coronavirus, attributing for 34 deaths.

LOUISBURG -- After 120 years, Franklin County's governing board is Republican-led.
During the board's Monday meeting, commissioners selected their chairman and vice chairman, but it was not without some intrigue.
Commissioners Michael Schriver and David Bunn were selected as the board's chair and vice chair, respectively.
Their appointments were not unanimous.

Mrs. and Mr. Claus, who didn't provide their name, but were sponsored by Birkner Insurance in Rolesville, were the star attraction of Youngsville's Christmas Parade last Saturday. The parade drew a large crowd, media attention and debate about whether it should have been held in a pandemic.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County will soon have a new emergency services director.
Hendrix Valenzuela will assume the job on Dec. 14, according to Franklin County Manager Kim Denton, who made the announcement last week.
Valenzuela comes to Franklin County from Cumberland County where he served as that county's emergency management program coordinator.

LOUISBURG -- Commissioners chopped off three options for its new office building, approving an upfit to the old Walmart building that will cost $2.2 million.
Commission Chair Michael Schriver said the additional month that staff and commissioners had to examine the project and digest its fiscal impact made Monday night's decision an easier pill to swallow.

Franklinton and downtown business partners combined to host its first Downtown Sparkles, Franklinton Shines event, christening some new businesses and allowing people to learn more about new ones that are coming. Food trucks were on hand and a tree lighting at Franklinton Middle School lawn took place at dusk.

Ben Snelling, Jeff Dodrill

In a year when positive news has been as rare as finding wisdom teeth in a chicken, a couple of stories in our last week's edition deserve special mention.
One story, at the top of Page 1, details local efforts to interest high school students in a career in emergency response jobs -- most especially as dispatchers who are the center of everything when something goes wrong.

It's been argued that decades of doing nothing has put the county in the position that it's in: Frantically trying to stick a hose in any water source it can to meet the needs of Franklin County for the next 30 years ... and beyond.
During the Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday night, Youngsville resident Frank Winstead urged the county to take the same approach to get out of this fiscal pickle: "Simply, just do nothing."

It was the question that spoke to a nation. In 1897, little Virginia O'Hanlon wrote her local newspaper to seek assurance that Santa was real. The column in response to her query was headlined, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
As Youngsville's mayor, I imagine there's a girl in my town -- let's call her Olivia -- who's asking a similar question, one also on the minds of most Americans: "will Christmas be the same this year?" In reply, our town board and I decided we would preserve the long tradition of the Youngsville Christmas parade.

FRANKLINTON- Jerome Anderson died Dec. 2, 2020 at WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, NC.

LOUISBURG -- Funeral services for Annie Ruth Cannady, 94, who died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, were held Dec. 9, in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Bobby Epps, 73, who died Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, are scheduled for Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill, Louisburg.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Mary "El" Allen, 68, who died Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, were held Dec. 8 in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, with the Rev. Ethan Arrington officiating.

FRANKLINTON -- Even though the season is just three matches old, the Franklinton Lady Rams have already waded through plenty of adversity during the 2020-21 volleyball campaign.
Heading into Monday's home event versus Big East Conference Rocky Mount, the Lady Rams were coming off a two-week layoff.

LOUISBURG -- Talent, exposure and connections can take a college student-athlete a long way, regardless of the sport.
Just ask Louisburg College baseball standouts Trendon Craig and K.J. Wells, both of whom recently signed letters-of-intent to continue their careers at Division I schools in North Carolina.

BUNN -- Bunn High School's 2020-21 volleyball schedule certainly enjoyed an explosive start as the Ladycats kicked things off with a road victory at chief rival Louisburg.
But BHS' next match wasn't one to remember -- a surprising road loss at upstart Oxford Webb.

LOUISBURG -- Veteran coach Jeff Dodrill found a unique way to challenge his top-two boys runners during last Wednesday's Big East Conference Cross Country Meet at Owens Park in Franklin County.
Dodrill instructed 1-2 standouts Justin Marshall and Chance Savage to start about 20 seconds behind the pack in an effort to help them with their speed and closing abilities heading into the postseason.

RALEIGH -- Area standouts Ricky Person Jr. and Zonovan Knight both had big outings last Saturday as the North Carolina State Wolfpack closed out the 2020 regular season with a 23-13 home victory over Georgia Tech at historic Carter-Finley Stadium.
Person, a junior, delivered 59 yards on the ground on 15 carries. He scored on a 20-yard touchdown burst on the first play of the second stanza to push the Wolfpack to a 10-0 advantage in the Atlantic Coast Conference gridiron showdown.

Franklinton High School sophomore outside hitter De'Nyla Harlan (right) elevates for a kill during the Lady Rams' home volleyball victory Monday evening against the Rocky Mount Lady Gryphons.

Among the dignitaries at last Wednesday afternoon's Big East Conference cross country meet at Owens Park in Franklin County were (l to r) Northern Nash head coach Jeff Dodrill, Franklinton assistant coach Ben Snelling, Southern Nash head coach Eddie Coble and Franklinton assistant coach Newell Pender.

Franklinton's Sarah Dodrill comes through with a kill for the homestanding Lady Rams during Monday evening's Big East Conference volleyball meeting against Rocky Mount.

TIME TO CELEBRATE. Tom and Wanda Harris of Louisburg will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. They were married in Raleigh on Dec. 10, 1970. They are long-time residents of Louisburg and both are former teachers at Louisburg High School. The couple has one son, Tom Harris III, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

This year has been a true test for all. When the pandemic started grocery store shelves were quickly depleted of many products. Food items were becoming scarce and selling like they have never sold before. During that time, we were beginning to worry about if we were going to have meat available in the coming weeks. During this time did we stop to think how fortunate we have been to have access to a safe and healthy food supply?

HENDERSON -- Faculty, staff, and leaders from Vance-Granville Community College and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) recently attended a virtual signing ceremony to formalize an agreement that creates new opportunities for students from the community college to complete bachelor's degrees.
The co-admission agreement, which is designed to improve transfer student access and success through a collaborative baccalaureate degree program, was signed by ECSU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon and VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais.

HENDERSON -- A Vance-Granville Community College department chair won a statewide learning award.
Antoinette C. Dickens, VGCC's Department Chair of Public Service and Work-Based Learning Coordinator, was recently named the winner of the North Carolina Work-Based Learning Association (NCWBLA) Jon A. Young Award for 2020.

The Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting at their office for Carolina Payroll Partners LLC on Dec. 2. The company services North Carolina and southern Virginia.

Franklin County Library now is lending Wi-Fi hotspots for use by small businesses, students and entrepreneurs and homemakers.
The library has 30 hotspots that will each be available to library patrons for one month with no renewals.
Following are the basics about the program:

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested two Louisburg residents on drug charges.
Authorities placed Jason Todd Wrenn in jail in lieu of a $585,000 bond and Elizabeth Ashley McCray was placed in jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond on Dec. 3.
The investigation began, authorities said, when the Narcotics Unit received multiple complaints that Wrenn was involved in illegal drug and other criminal activity at his residence.

LOUISBURG -- A White Level firefighter who also aspired to political service, died in a wreck this week.
Joey Mills was 52.
According to the State Highway Patrol, Mills was at a stop sign on Ferrells Bridge Road when he then proceeded to cross N.C. 39, pulling into the path of an oncoming flat-bed truck.

Above, a woman makes some final preparations to the Tin Pig float before the Youngsville Christmas Parade got started the morning of Dec. 5.

SPARKLING EVENT. The town of Franklinton, Franklinton Development LLC and downtown business partners combined to host a socially distant Christmas Tree lighting event, that doubled as an opportunity for folks to visit newly opened businesses and see what's coming down the pike. The tree was lit on the Franklinton Middle School lawn, creating a vintage look. (Times photos by Carey Johnson)

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Louisburg man on drug charges.
Dequon S. Seward, 26, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for the sale of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

ZEBULON -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Zebulon area woman, serving a warrant on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.
Dep. J .Van Winkle served the warrant against Alexis C. Debnam, 23, on Dec. 4.
It was not clear when she was next slated to appear in court.

CASTALIA -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies are looking for suspects in a break-in reported in the Castalia area of the county.
The incident was reported the afternoon of Dec. 5.
According to authorities a property in the 300 block of Rick Boone Road was burglarized.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2021 Governor's Volunteer Service Award.
The awards program recognizes North Carolina's most dedicated volunteers. The award has been bestowed on thousands of North Carolinians who have shown concern and compassion for their neighbors by volunteering in their local community.