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LOUISBURG -- A superior court judge permanently disqualified former Franklin County Clerk of Court Patricia Chastain from holding the office ever again.
Judge Thomas H. Lock issued the order on April 5, nearly three weeks after listening to arguments about Chastain's future.
Chastain's attorneys filed a motion on March 3 to have her immediately reinstated as Clerk of Superior Court, get back pay from the time of her removal, and any other relief the court deemed appropriate.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Louisburg man on Wednesday, alleging he was responsible for a triple shooting the day before.
The trio was being treated for injuries at WakeMed on Tuesday afternoon. An update on their condition was not immediately available.
Authorities arrested Todd Richardson Rogers, 59, of 123 Vineyard Drive on Wednesday in the Alert community, said Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners agreed to fast forward the purchase of three ambulances and begin efforts to replace a Bunn EMS station, the first public actions taken to address a study of the county's EMS system that highlighted several shortcomings.
Staff and officials, though, noted that the actions are just the first of several steps the county has planned to bolster its emergency services system.

From left to right, Safe Space's Jeanelle Leach, District Administrator Director of Judicial District 9's Guardian ad Litem Program Mary Jo Van Horne and Kendall Fuller with the Franklin County Department of Social Services place pinwheels and signs at the Franklin County Courthouse, drawing attention to April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council learned last week it may be getting a new "tool" for its toolbox, a tool designed to help direct the town's growth through at least 2030.
During a special council meeting last Wednesday afternoon, Louisburg Planning and Zoning Administrator Philip Slayter gave the town's lawmakers an hour-long view of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan that will be up for both a public hearing and a vote during the council's regular April 18 meeting.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to support a pay plan that would install performance-based compensation for employees.
Commissioners implemented a compensation and classification study for the current fiscal year that is designed to bring employee pay rates in line with the market.
As a result, all full- and part-time employees received some level of increase.

Over the past month, we have highlighted goals identified in the Franklin County Schools district Strategic Plan -- Blueprint 2025. This plan, developed by a cross-section of stakeholders in our community, was implemented in Fall 2020. Previously explored goals have included:
Goal 1: Preparing FCS Students for college, career and life beyond the classroom
Goal 2: Achieving student success in academic areas

Franklinton HS alum Nehemiah Judkins

Truthfully, I wasn't sure whether to stand up and cheer or to hide under the table and cringe!
The moment came during a special "briefing" for the Louisburg Town Council last week during which the town's planning and zoning administrator, Philip Slayter, discussed the document and some projections for the future.
Among them was the indication that Louisburg is poised to grow by at least 700 new homes in the next seven years -- a rate of about 100 a year.

On Monday night, Franklin County Cooperative Extension Director Charles Mitchell presented county commissioners and the public, essentially, with a State of Agriculture address.
On the bright side, Franklin County is in the top half of all counties in terms of the ag industry, generating nearly $70 million in revenue.
In the past 12 months, Mike and Suzanne Jones' MAE Farm was recognized by the State Cooperative Extension as its Small Farmer of the Year.

Dear Editor:
I live on the family farm on Highway 98 in the New Hope Community.
On one side of me is Woodfield Subdivision. On the other side of my property is another subdivision "in the making" with possibly another 200 houses.
I understand from what I can find out that they are drilling wells to get water.

YOUNGSVILLE, NC-- Charles Larry Godsey, 72, died March 29, 2022.He was born in Superior, NE on October 5, 1949 to the late Robert and Leola Koester Godsey. In addition to his parents, Charles is predeceased by siblings, Elizabeth Meyer and Bill Godsey.

ZEBULON, NC--Funeral services for Felicia Ann Smith, age 49, who died on Friday, April 1, 2022, will be held 3 p.m., Saturday, April 9, from the Bunn High School Auditorium, with Rev. Dazelle Kearney officiating.

CASTALIA, NC--Garland Thomas "Tommy" Hight, 55, of Castalia died Sunday, April 3, 2022 at his home. Born on January 8, 1967 to the late John Felix Hight and Kaye Dorsey, he was also preceded in death by his step-father, Vincent Dorsey.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Gregory "G. T." Terrell, age 54, who died on Saturday, April 2, 2022, will be held 11 a.m., Friday, April 8, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. David Rosby officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for James Marvin "J. Marvin" Gill, age 67, who died on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, will be held 11 a.m., Monday, April 11, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Stanley M. Dunston officiating. Burial will follow in the Allen Chapel Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC--Linda Gayle Williams Carter, 76, of the Louisburg died April 4, 2022. Linda was born on August 7, 1945, to the late William Thomas and Belle Stegall Williams.

FRANKLINTON, NC-- Shelby Ann Tippett Goodwin, 70, of Franklinton died Monday, April 4, 2022. She was born on June 26, 1951, the daughter of the late Henry and Margaret Hedgepeth Tippett. In addition to her parents, Shelby was predeceased by brothers, Charlie Tippett, Baby Boy Tippett, and Alexander Tippett and his wife, Patsy.

BUNN -- It would have been easy to give up on the Bunn High School baseball team following a slow start to the 2022 campaign -- but that would have been an untimely mistake.
Bunn dropped its first three contests of the season by a combine 44-3, but it must be noted that those setbacks came against powerhouse programs Wilson Fike and South Central out of Pitt County.

FRANKLINTON -- Both Nash Central and Franklinton have experienced their fair share of hard-luck baseball losses this season in the always-competitive Big East Conference.
So it stood to reason that one of those clubs would be able to break through during Tuesday's Big East meeting at the FHS Baseball Field -- and that squad would be the homestanding Red Rams.

FRANKLINTON -- One big inning was all it took for Franklinton to slide past Nash Central during Tuesday's pitcher's duel in Big East Conference fast-pitch softball action.
The tight contest was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth stanza, but that's when the homestanding Lady Rams delivered a quartet of runs -- and pitcher Morgan Strickland did the rest to finish off Franklinton's 4-0 triumph.

WAKE FOREST -- Roanoke Rapids was the big winner, but Louisburg and Southern Nash weren't far behind during last Wednesday's Big East Conference 18-hole boys golf match at Brevofield GC in Wake County.
Roanoke Rapids, fueled by a 76 by medalist Hunt Quarles, claimed first place in the team standings with an effective 320.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg College baseball team went 2-2 overall in a key Region X four-game series with USC-Sumter last weekend at historic Frazier Field on the LC campus.
In game one last Saturday afternoon, Louisburg won 13-2 as the Hurricanes had 13 hits in the game.
Eli Weisner was 3-3 with 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored.

Louisburg's Landon Mize makes a nifty play on the infield during last Saturday's road baseball showdown at Bunn.

Franklinton High School freshman Emelyn Kirby rips a single for the Lady Rams during Tuesday afternoon's home victory over Nash Central in Big East Conference softball action.

FRANKLINTON -- The Franklinton Area Community Theater group will perform its rendition of The Addams Family Musical.
And while the first performance is Friday, the actress playing Wednesday Addams has been putting on a show for ages.
Whitley Lynn, a senior at Franklinton High School, has been singing and dancing since her kindergarten year.

Nnenna Freelon, a multi-Grammy-Award nominee, will discuss the deep connections of creativity in North Carolina by citing numerous examples of musicians and artists who have roots in this state and the impact they have had on the world. The event will be held 7 p.m., Thursday, April 14.
Recently, Freelon starred in the critically acclaimed show "Georgia on My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles." She has also toured with many other great jazz artists including Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Earl Klugh and Take 6.

CASTALIA -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies are investigating a tragic incident that killed a two-year-old.
Authorities responded to 960 Collins Mill Road after 5 p.m. on Friday to find the toddler dead.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright said it appears that a family member was operating a skid-steer loader and ran over the child.

FRANKLINTON -- Authorities allege a Kittrell man had a medical emergency, causing him to crash his car into the side of a drug store.
Franklinton police, fire and rescue units responded to the Walgreens on U.S. 1 at about 12:45 p.m. on April 1, finding a Volkswagen Jetta lodged into the side of the building at about 1:30 p.m..

A Wake Forest resident and Louisburg businessman is now a board trustee with the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame.
At 21, Fayard made his first static line jump in 1966 at a small airport in Rising Sun, Indiana.
He worked with Jim West of Greene County Sport Parachute Club for seven years before opening his own Franklin County Sports Parachute Center/Carolina Sky Sports in Louisburg.