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LOUISBURG -- A superior court judge essentially ended a two-year confederate monument legal dispute when he ruled that a dozen Franklin County residents who challenged its moving had no legal standing to do so.
On Monday afternoon, Superior Court Judge Michael O'Foghludha relied on precedent in two "very important" appellate court cases -- both of which dealt with the issue of legal standing -- which had been decided since the legal challenge was filed in Franklin County in June 2022.

Embattled Louisburg Town Administrator Jonathan Franklin may be on his way out of town.
The Newton town council met in a special session at 1 p.m. Wednesday and voted to make Franklin the offer to become that city of nearly 13,000 residents its new town manager. Newton is in Catawba County near Hickory.
Contacted about his pending departure on Tuesday, Franklin declined comment except to confirm that he "might have something in the works."

LOUISBURG -- For the first time in many months, COVID-19 statistics got barely a glance from the Franklin County Board of Education Monday night as members switched their attention from the virus to more traditional topics like preparing a budget for the coming school year.
Early in the meeting, the board was told that the number of COVID cases in the county for those 17 and under stands at 53, well below the target goal of 100 cases.

LOUISBURG -- Patricia Chastain has filed to run for clerk of court at the same time her attorneys have filed a motion to have her returned to office.
In October 2020, Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock permanently removed Chastain as Franklin County's Clerk of Superior Court after listening to allegations and arguments of misconduct.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town officials got their first look at spending recommendation and options, including a proposal for the preliminary work necessary for a route to help bypass Youngsville.
During a March 11 budget work session, Town Administrator Nathan Page presented the board with an outline for spending in 2022-23, which included setting aside an as-yet determined amount of money for the design, planning and right-of-way acquisition for a bypass road.

In Fall of 2019, Franklin County Schools began development of a five-year plan focused on identifying goals and strategies that would drive the work of the district.
This committee of parents, staff, and leaders in the non-profit, faith-based and business communities identified "Preparing students for college, career and life beyond the classroom" as our top priority.

Franklinton's Clennie Wilkins

Twenty years and a lot of water over the dam haven't changed this old reporter's evaluation of the Nash County office complex one iota -- and that same opinion applies to the monument to political personalities that Franklin County is considering building.
Two decades ago, I helped cover the opening of the Nash County office building that three Franklin County commissioners toured last week and, when the dust settled, I said then that the building was overkill for a relatively small Eastern North Carolina county.

For about five minutes, Assistant County Manager Will Doerfer and Human Resources Director Kelly Faulkner presented Franklin County Commissioners with their proposed Excellence in County Government Employee Recognition Program -- a formal and informal plan by which to recognize employees who, essentially, go above and beyond.
"The purpose is to recognize county employees who exceed expectations in performance and service," Doerfer said.

Dear editor:
That lot across from Post Office that Louisburg purchased for four hundred and twenty five thousand raises lots of questions?
Our farm land has seven tenths of a mile of road frontage and is valued at less than a fourth of what the town paid for that lot across from Post Office!

LOUISBURG, NC--Frances Lucille Pearce Davis, 79, of the Louisburg passed away on March 15, 2022. Frances was born on March 17, 1942, to the late Joseph and Ruby Wheeler Pearce.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Joe Thomas, age 88, of Franklinton, died Saturday, March 12, 2022 at his home. He was born July 26, 1933 in Yancey County, NC to the late Arnold and Pearl Gouge Thomas.

KITTRELL, NC--Joel Nello Sherron Jr, 70, of Kittrell passed away on March 9, 2022. He was born on October 10, 1951, to the late Joel Sr. and Katherine Williams Sherron. In addition to his parents, Joel was predeceased by his wife of 23 years, Anna Sherron; brothers, James "Nello" Sherron and Walter Sherron; and a sister, Patricia Carter.

WARRENTON, NC - Margaret Chamblee Faulkner, 79, of the Alert community, died Wednesday morning, March 16, 2022 at her home.

LOUISBURG, NC--Robert Clinton "Deerhunter" Hicks, 65, of the White Level Community of Louisburg died March 10, 2022. Bob was born August 1, 1956, to Ella Mae Rose and Kerney Jackson Hicks Sr.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Ted Mackie Marshall, 84, of Louisburg, passed away on March 12, 2022. He was born on July 26, 1937, to the late Otis Marshall and Zula Jackson.

BUNN -- Even though this is his first season as Nash Central's girls soccer coach, Micah Faile offered some sage advice late in the first half of the Lady Bulldogs' Big East Conference showdown on the road Tuesday against the Bunn Ladycats.
Central had controlled the majority of the action, but the homestanding Ladycats proved to be stingy in their final line of defense -- not to mention the fact that a handful of the Lady Bulldogs' point-blank attempts sailed either wide or high.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Where the competitive pinwheel of balance eventually stops come may is anybody's guess in the Big East Conference track and field scene.
That's because the restructured Big East now features traditional powers and holdovers Franklinton, Rocky Mount, Northern Nash and Southern Nash -- along with Class 2-A newcomers Nash Central (a former Big East titan in its own right before moving to the Eastern Plains Conference four years ago), Louisburg, Bunn and Roanoke Rapids.

BUNN -- One thunderous crack of the bat -- courtesy of Bunn freshman Madeline Bryson -- was the lone difference during the Ladycats' pitchers' duel softball showdown against Big East Conference and backyard rival Franklinton.
With Bunn's Emily Clark and Franklinton's Morgan Strickland mowing down batters with ease, the contest had the look of a potential 1-0 game -- and that's exactly how things played out.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The postseason accolades keep pouring in for Franklin County junior hoops standouts Jordan Durham (Louisburg) and Kaitlyn Adams (Bunn).
Both of the juniors were selected recently as the Big East Conference Players of the Year following their respective amazing campaigns. Adams and Durham then added another honor last week as they were named to the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association's District 6 All-Star Teams.

Franklinton second baseman Emelyn Kirby flips the ball to teammate Chelsea Jones at second base.

Bunn third sacker Gracie Hanna reels in a pop fly during Tuesday's home triumph against rival Franklinton.

Bunn High School's Lucy Romero (right) dribbles out of harm's way for the Ladycats during Tuesday afternoon's home showdown against Nash Central in Big East Conference girls soccer action on the BHS campus.

Nominations are being sought for a $750 scholarship offered by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association (NCCEAPA) through March 25.
The scholarship is available to North Carolina residents pursuing a college degree (Associate and/or Bachelor) in business or a business-related field of study.