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LOUISBURG -- COVID-19 is the virus that just won't go away -- and neither will the masks which offer protection, albeit imperfect, from infection.
Again this week, the Franklin County Board of Education voted to continue the school district's mask mandate for all schools -- and they did so on the same 4-to-2 vote as the mandate was extended in November.
Meghan Jordan and Debra Brodie, voted to end the mandate but the rest of the board vetoed that and continued the mandate for the foreseeable future.

Santa Claus was chillin' and relaxin' last Saturday during Alert's Christmas Parade on Saturday, obviously resting up for his big night on Christmas Eve. Apparently trying (unsuccessfully) to talk him out of giving away all those toys was the Grinch, who shared the float. Some observers said Santa bore an uncanny resemblance to Stacy Harpel and that the Grinch might have looked a little like Cindy Cassidy, but you can be the judge of that.

If there was any doubt that little Autumn Bullock, 4, and her buddy, Kimberly Hayes, are ready for Christmas, those decorations and huge smiles should make it clear they are absolutely ready for Santa's annual visit. In the meantime, they were enjoying the Alert Christmas Parade last Saturday.

Little Grayson Rife, who is almost 2, was enjoying all the activity surrounding the Bunn Christmas Parade on Saturday, especially the candy "rain" that was landing all around him. Also enjoying the event were his mom, Alyssa Wells and dad, Tyler Rife.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County Schools employees who stick with the system will be getting a bonus soon thanks to unanimous action taken by the Board of Education Monday night.
The board approved a Longevity Bonus Plan for the district's eligible staff that is to be in place for at least the next three years.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's emergency responders asked commissioners to hold off, again, on choosing who installs a new emergency radio system.
Commissioners listened.
The board agreed to wait until their Jan. 3 meeting before deciding how it will address its emergency radio system needs.

LOUISBURG -- Primary election filing was suspended last week as the State's Supreme Court expects to hear challenges to newly drawn election districts.
As a result, the primary has been pushed back from March 8 to May 17.
And, filing, which opened on Dec. 6 and was slated to run through Dec. 17, has been suspended.

LOUISBURG -- A Spring Hope man made an initial appearance in court this week on arson and fraud charges.
Agents with the State Department of Insurance allege Gabriel Paul Ingino set fire to a house on S. Church Street in Louisburg and then tried to commit insurance fraud.
The 34-year-old had an initial appearance in Franklin County District Court on Dec. 13. He waived assignment of legal counsel.

The leadership of the Franklin County Board of Education changed Monday night with Dr. Elizabeth Keith taking over as chairman.
She replaces Paige Sayles who had been chair.
The board also elected Rosemary Champion as its vice chair, replacing Bernard Hall in that role.

Mallory Sutton in the holiday spirit

Do you suppose a few words once uttered by an American veteran and long-time politician could help put the nation back on the right course?
That's probably asking way too much of a few words of wisdom espoused by the late Robert "Bob" Dole who recently passed away just a little shy of his 100th birthday.

More often than not, you'll find me using this valuable column space to remind readers of the importance of elections and casting a ballot.
Most recently, I referenced the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and seriously wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during an incident in Kenosha, Wisc. last summer.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Bettie Mae Murphy Frazier, 89, of Louisburg, died Thursday morning, December 9, 2021 at her home.

REIDSVILLE, NC--Brenda Kay Wilkins Thomas, 60, died December 3, 2021, she was born in Franklin County on August 10, 1961 to the late Paul and Mary Davis Wilkins.

LOUISBURG, NC--Dale Hall Faulkner, 78, of Louisburg, died Friday morning, December 10, 2021.

ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA--Born in Louisburg, North Carolina to Arch and Mary Alice Hubbard Parrish, she passed peacefully in Roseville, California.

WARRENTON, NC--Sandra Elizabeth Craps, 52, died December 13, 2021, she was born in Lexington, SC on October 10, 1969 to the late David and Christine Chandler Craps.

ZEBULON, NC--Traci Jean Buzbee Caslin, 55, died December 10, 2021, she was born in St. Petersburg, FL on July 15, 1966 to Lamar Buzbee and the late Carol Marie Parks Fosness. In addition to her mother, Traci was predeceased by a brother, Doug Buzbee.

BUNN -- After four seasons, Dale Murphy has stepped down as the head football coach of the Bunn Wildcats.
Murphy handed in his resignation last week. He expects to continue at the school in a teaching capacity -- and possibly help with coaching in another sport.
A former standout at Smithfield-Selma High School, Murphy has been in Bunn for 11 years, serving as an assistant coach on the varsity led.

BUNN -- Northern Nash and Bunn have been facing off on the basketball court for years, but last Friday night marked the inaugural meeting between the two schools as conference foes.
In what was an ugly game riddled with turnovers and shooting woes, it was the Northern Nash Knights who emerged victorious, squeaking out a 53-49 win over the Wildcats in Big East Conference action at the Bunn Dome.

BUNN -- Not since the Whitney Bunn-Alexus Hill days of over one decade ago had Bunn and Northern Nash met in girls basketball action.
But judging by the intensity of last Friday's showdown between the schools, this rivalry might be heating up again -- now in the ultra-competitive Big East Conference.

LOUISBURG -- Rocky Mount was considered the overwhelming preseason favorite to repeat as the Big East Conference boys basketball champion.
And the tradition-rich Gryphons showed why last Friday during their first meeting with Louisburg High School in recent memory.
RM and LHS are now league foes in the newfangled Big East, and the Gryphons got the best of the Warriors by a 63-27 margin in boys hoops action at the historic LHS Gymnasium.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Franklinton High School put down the defensive clamps last Friday and rallied to secure a victory over homestanding Nash Central in Big East Conference girls basketball action. Seeking their first Big East triumph of the campaign, FHS limited the Lady Bulldogs to just six points after intermission in order to claim a 23-21 decision at the NCHS Gymnasium.

WILSON -- The Wilson Tubs are currently offering a 'Miracle on Stadium Street' package for the 2022 Coastal Plain Baseball League season.
The package includes 14 game tickets, a $10 Fleming Stadium gift card and a mystery Tobs item.
Cost is $75 per package.
For more information, contact the Wilson Tobs at (252) 291-8627.

RALEIGH -- Zonovan Knight has carved a career niche as a running back, but he's also developed a new area of excellence during his time with the football team at North Carolina State University.
Knight, a Southern Nash alum who is a junior at NC State, still stars in the backfield for the Wolfpack.

Point guard titans (l to r) Indiya Spooner (Northern Nash) and Alexis Perry (Bunn) competed against each other during last Friday night's Big East Conference girls basketball showdown at the Bunn Dome.

Bunn High School's Domantea Cooke (with ball) splits the Northern Nash defense en route to a basket during last Friday night's Big East Conference boys basketball showdown at the Bunn Dome.

Bunn's Jordan Perry (with ball) makes a spirited drive toward the basket during last Friday night's Big East Conference boys basketball event versus Northern Nash at the Bunn Dome.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Arts Council put a ceremonial bow on its Gallery on the Hill this month with a ribbon cutting.
The Arts Council has been at its 99 S. Bickett Boulevard location for some time now, but its services had been shuttered because of the pandemic.
On Dec. 3, the Arts Council held a grand re-opening, complete with a Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting, along with some Holiday Open House hours.

Louisburg Farm Bureau needs your help in helping local families have a Merry Christmas! Items needed before Christmas are: new coats, warm clothes and new toys. Take items to the Louisburg Farm Bureau Insurance office, 496 Redwood Lane, Louisburg, Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m. They are working with Franklin County DSS to make sure children have a Merry Christmas. In addition, Coats for Christmas is in full swing, and once again the coats are needed for kids and adults of Franklin County. Drop off your new or good used coat to the Farm Bureau Insurance office at the above location.

Jaylen and Albri Tharrington are all decked out and ready to ride in Alert's parade!

Bunn Mayor Marsha Strawbridge waves from a parade vehicle driven by Tony Bullock during Saturday's Christmas parade.

A bright red outfit, a great tractor and a wagon load of Christmas celebrants! What more does a Bunn parade need?

Their baseball mascot sums it all up for Franklin County's Miracle League.