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The pandemic has had a measurable effect on Franklin County school children as evidenced by the school accountability statistics just released by the state.
Franklin County went from having no low performing schools in the 2018-19 school year, the last year before the pandemic, to three low performing schools in the 2021-22 school year.

COVID is still with us. In fact, the number of reported cases in Franklin County Schools has more than doubled over the last two weeks.
Two weeks ago, some 45 cases were being reported but as of last Friday, the most recent COVID update, some 108 cases were being reported in the schools.
That week, Bunn High School had the highest number with 16, followed by 10 cases at Cedar reek Middle School and nine each at Royal and Terrell Lane.

Franklin County first responders, including fire, rescue units and law enforcement officers gathered last Friday to recognize the heroes, survivors and those who perished during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which rocked New York, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and the world. During the ceremony on Friday, crews raised a giant flag in the middle of Main Street in front of the Franklin County Courthouse.

No more Louisburg High School?
The school could be in for a name change as early as next month as part of an effort to "rebrand" it.
The Board of Education was presented with a proposal Monday night by Melissa Thomas, LHS principal, and Dr. Danyelle Parker, executive director of secondary education and CTE that would add the word "Magnet" to the school's name.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Over the objections of hundreds, town commissioners agreed to rezone more than 350 acres, making way for a development that could double the town's size.
Fort Mill, SC-Based BRD Land and Investment LP petitioned the town to rezone two parcels between Fleming and Hicks roads -- 224.75 acres and 126.73 acres -- from Single-Family Residential to Traditional Neighborhood Development Overlay, which would allow for more development per acre.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners approved efforts to fast-track a northern bypass design that could pump traffic away from its congested heart of town -- Main Street.
In November 2021, the Federal Infrastructure Bill allotted funds to remove unsafe railroad crossings.

EPSOM -- Franklin County moved one step closer to developing a long-gestating park project in its northwest region.
The State Parks and Recreation Authority awarded more than $17 million in Parks and Recreation Trust Fund money to provide support to 39 local parks and recreation projects, including $434,625 for Epsom Park.

Justice resident and Brig. Gen. (retired) John A. Byrd

You can say one thing about this post-Labor Day period, it has certainly placed Youngsville in the spotlight.
And not in a good way, either.
It's hard to feel sorry for Youngsville. It's growing, vibrant, has a plan for getting ahead of the growth and traffic and it has enjoyed very good leadership in recent years.

At every professional news stop I've ever made, I've covered law enforcement and the court system to some degree.
That means that when the cops showed up in a neighborhood to arrest someone accused of trying to ruin someone's day, by you know, poking them with a sharp object, introducing hot lead into a negotiation or hosting a meeting between their fist and someone's face, I too, attended these proceedings.

GENEVA, AL--Howard Lucas Gupton died 12 August 2022 at 89 years of age at his home, Westbrook Assisted Living Facility in Geneva, Alabama, after a brief illness.

Joyce Ann Murphy Bailey, 71, of Louisburg died September 12, 2022. She was born on June 19, 1951, to the late Paul B. Jr. and Beulah Wood Murphy. In addition to her parents, Joyce was predeceased by a sister, Judy Ritch.

Neil G. Kirby, 68, of Louisburg, NC died at home Saturday, September 10, 2022.

WAKE FOREST, NC--Terri Mae Berryann Walker, 67, of Wake Forest and Lake Royale, NC, died September 8, 2022. She was the daughter of the late Kenneth Berryann, Sr. and Flora (Davis) Berryann. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister Marilyn Faux.

William Andrew Cooley Jr., 34, died Monday, September 5, 2022.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Conventional wisdom stated that Bunn, with zero matches under its belt to date during the 2022 season, would not be able to stack up against a tested Rocky Mount club on Monday in the Big East Conference boys soccer opener.
Bunn, which didn't even have a new coach until August, got a late start to the campaign, in part due to the coaching vacancy. The Wildcats didn't schedule a non-league match as is the usual custom.

LOUISBURG -- Coach Tom Harris' self-analysis 'roller-coaster season' to date for his Franklinton Lady Rams was exemplified in one match last Thursday -- but it concluded with Harris' club elevating toward a clutch Big East Conference triumph.
Taking on rival Louisburg, the Lady Rams were sharp in the first set, were no match for LHS in the second set and appeared on their way to dropping the key third set -- until making a furious late rally.

FRANKLINTON -- A rebuilding Franklinton squad met up with the current Queens of the Court in the Big East Conference last Thursday -- and the result was rather predictable.
Rocky Mount, the defending Big East girls tennis champion, rolled to a 9-0 overall decision over the Lady Rams, dropping just six games along the way in league action at the FHS Courts.

LOUISBURG -- For the second consecutive week, the Louisburg Warriors piled up the offensive numbers -- and the points -- while securing a home victory in non-league football action.
The Warriors, fresh off their lopsided triumph over South Wake Home School, continued their strong early-campaign work last Friday night with a 42-8 decision over Washington County at the LHS Football Field.

OXFORD -- The Franklinton Red Rams couldn't have asked for a better route to head into their Big East Conference football schedule.
Two weeks, including a bye, after FHS dropped a double-overtime heartbreaker at home, the Red Rams bounced back in fine fashion last Friday with a convincing 52-0 road victory at Oxford Webb. The contest was FHS' final tune-up before heading into this week's Big East Conference opener, and the triumph was the first of the year for the now 1-2 Red Rams.

MYRTLE BEACH - Robert Moore hit a three-run home run, Eric Brown Jr. scored three runs, Luis Castillo drove in three and Jesus Chirinos drove in two as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 9-3 in the final game of Carolina's 2022 season on Sunday night at Pelicans Ballpark in the Palmetto State.
Carolina (35-30, 69-62) broke through early with three runs in the first after getting a two-run single from Chirinos and a run-scoring single from Castillo.

BUNN -- Through three games, Dennis Burton couldn't have asked for a better start to his tenure as Bunn High School's head football coach.
Burton has seen his club waltz through a trio of overmatched non-league opponents -- by a combined score of 150-6.
The Wildcats have displayed a wealth of efficiency and options while running their new spread offense, and the defense has been tenacious and opportunistic.

Above, auctioneer E.B. Harris dazzles the crowd and raises bids during an auction that was part of Dinner in the Meadow, an annual event that benefits the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, which provides a $5,000 grant to a deserving small farmer.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Wake Prep has worked "diligently and tirelessly" to improve hours-long traffic congestion that motorists faced when the charter school opened on Capital Boulevard.
After delaying opening day for two weeks to install traffic signalization recommended by the State Department of Transportation and required by county planning, Wake Preparatory Academy held its first day of classes on Sept. 6.

LOUISBURG -- A Rocky Mount man who fled local police on a dirt bike has been arrested.
Louisburg police allege a man was riding a dirt bike along Bickett Boulevard with no helmet the afternoon of Aug. 20.
The man, later identified as Devonte Sykes, then proceeded onto N.C. 56 and escaped into a wooded area.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested two Franklinton relatives in a domestic dispute.
Initially, Franklinton police responded to the 400 block of S. Main Street to a call of an argument involving a firearm at about 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 12.
Ultimately, there was no firearm involved, authorities said.

WAKE FOREST -- A 33-year-old Wake Forest man is slated to appear in court later this fall on murder charges.
Wake Forest police arrested Terrance J'Von Hartsfield on Sept. 7, hours after he arrived in the Youngsville Police Department with a dead body in his car.
Authorities identified the woman as Jacqueline Beckwith, a 54-year-old woman who family claimed had at one time been involved in an abusive relationship with Hartsfield.