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LOUISBURG -- If Friday's canvass reflects Nov. 8's unofficial results, Franklin County will swear in a new commissioner and sheriff in December.
District 2 County Commissioner-elect Roxanne Bragg is ready to get started.
"This is my home county and I want what's best for the county," Bragg said following her election-night win over incumbent Cedric Jones. "I feel like because I am a local person, I have a lot of knowledge of the terrain and the people and I can research all the issues ... and make informative decisions."

LOUISBURG -- Stepping up to the podium last week, Army vet and educator Lashonda Harris delivered the county Veterans Day keynote address for a friend.
Friendships, Harris said, are at the core of military service and have helped soldiers, for generations, cope with its rigors.
She decided to make it a key component of her address to the hundreds of veterans who gathered inside the Louisburg National Guard Armory for the county's Veterans Day ceremony.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners took two actions last week in an effort to streamline plans for a Youngsville bypass.
First, the board agreed to enter into an option agreement, at a cost of $15,000, to potentially purchase the right-of-way they'll need from Jim and David B. Moss to build a northern bypass around town.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners got a chance to weigh in on a planned land use/transportation plan ahead of a committed effort by consultants to solicit more public input this holiday season.
Last month, representatives with 3TP Ventures took residents on a tour of downtown and hosted a community meeting in its first effort to solicit input and share details about developing the town's Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation Plan

FRANKLINTON -- Sitting as a board of adjustment, town commissioners gave one business the ability to expand, gave a native the chance to open a day care in town and gave one resident the opportunity to build a new home.
The two special use permits and the variance were granted during the board's Tuesday night meeting.
In October, town officials considered a petition by Nasr Saleh to operate a gas station at 509 E. Green Street.

1-year-old Jeremiah Mead at Veterans ceremony

Admittedly, I've never been much of a card player, so my knowledge of such things is minimal at best.
But I always thought that a deck of cards had four aces.
Yet last week, the Franklin County commissioners were "playing" against a deck that held at least seven aces.
And, my guess is that no matter how they play that hand, they are in for a major challenge.

Back in June, to thunderous applause, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners agreed to recreate its animal services board -- answering a plea that animal advocates made more than three years prior.
During the board's Nov. 7 meeting, Commissioner Danny Pearce wanted to make sure the county was following through on its pronouncement.

Dear editor:
Psalm 8:2 reads: "out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hath thou ordained strength." (King James version).
I write this letter to applaud our youth from the Franklinton High School activist group known as Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE) who came before the county commissioners' meeting and voiced their sentiments about what is taking place in our county.

Louisburg, NC--Barbara Smith Eury, 86, of Louisburg, passed away on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. She was born on August 10, 1936 to the late Melville Smith and Laura Mae Ayscue Smith O'Neal.

LOUISBURG, NC--Eva Kaye Gupton Ellington, 75, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, November 8, 2022. She was born on May 30, 1947 to the late Willie and Elizabeth Gupton.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Gladys Smith Aycock, 78, of Louisburg, died Tuesday morning, November 15, 2022. Gladys was the daughter of the late James H. Smith and Onnie Smith Pruitt. She was preceded in death by her son, Travis Gupton; daughter, Danelle D. Hicks; brother, James Thomas Smith and her sister, Gray S. Haithcock.

LOUISBURG, NC--Hilda Gray Ayscue Cottrell, 88, of Louisburg, died Saturday, November 12, 2022. She was born on October 1, 1934 to the late Hurley J and Zona Tutor Ayscue. In addition to her parents, Hilda was predeceased by her husband, Louis Donald Cottrell; and sisters, Shelvie Burnette and Doris Smith.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for James Edward Massenburg, age 90, who died on Saturday, November 12, 2022 will be held 1 p.m., Friday, November 18, 2022 from the Mitchell Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. William Cozart officiating. Burial will follow in the Jones Chapel Church Cemetery.

Greensboro, NC--James Macon Coghill Jr., 89, of Greensboro passed away on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. He was the oldest child of James Macon Coghill, Sr., and Wilma Smith Coghill.

LOUISBURG, NC--Janet Whitley Phelan, 63, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at her home.

Wendell, NC--Funeral services for Kelsey "K. J." Evans, age 25, who died on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. from the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Nashville with Rev. Wynton Dunham officiating. Burial will follow in the Oakland Cemetery.

HENDERSON -- Lawrence Reece Harris, 89, of Henderson, died on Monday, November 14, at Duke Health Hospice in Durham. Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 2 p.m. Interment will follow in the Union Chapel United Methodist Church cemetery in Kittrell, N.C.

Franklinton, NC-- William Albert Weaver, 81, of Franklinton died November 11, 2022 at his home. He was born on May 20, 1941, to the late William Henry and Laura McGhee Weaver.

LOUISBURG -- Hard to believe, but Louisburg High School's acclaimed Football Class of 2024 has just one more collective season of eligibility remaining.
It seems like just yesterday when those players were eighth-graders at Terrell Lane Middle School, leaving the Tornadoes to an undefeated campaign that was capped by a Middle Athletic Conference Championship.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton High School's 2022 football season was a transitional one as long-time assistant Mo Morris took over the program following the retirement of the legendary Jimmy Williams.
Morris kept much of Williams' philosophies in place as the Red Rams continued to make progress with their building plans.

BUNN -- Certainly, the book on Bunn High School's 2022 football season featured two distinct chapters -- but a happy ending may be in the offing sooner than later.
Dennis Burton took over as BHS' head coach over the summer, and his tenure was smashing early success as the Wildcats opened with four consecutive triumphs, including a stunning upset of long-time Big East Conference powerhouse Rocky Mount.

ROCKY MOUNT -- For the second consecutive season, former Louisburg High School football coach Chris Lee has his Nash Central Bulldogs into the third round of the Class 2-A State Playoffs.
The Bulldogs, who claimed the Class 2-A portion of the Big East Conference title this fall, advanced last Thursday with a 36-28 home victory over Greene Central at The Dawg Pound on the NCHS campus.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Northern Nash's boys dominance continued while the Roanoke Rapids girls made a statement for the Class 2-A squads as part of the Big East Conference cross country campaign.
Northern was once again the repeat team champion in the Big East under the direction of legendary coach Jeff Dodrill.

NASH COUNTY -- Listed are updated results and pairings for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Class 2-A and 3-A State Football Playoffs:

ZEBULON -- Top-rated Milwaukee Brewers prospect and former Carolina Mudcats outfielder Jackson Chourio has been named Carolina League Most Valuable Player by Minor League Baseball.
Chourio was also named a Carolina League postseason All-Star and was selected as the top Major League prospect in the league. Votes were cast by league managers.

The Franklin County Arts Council hosted its first event in the new gallery location, the Gallery on Nash, last Thursday. Five published authors, all members of the Arts Council's writers' guild, presented a panel discussion and Q&A session on the ins and outs of writing, publishing, and life as a writer. The panel included local authors Kim Beall, Kathryn Ewers Bundy, KF (Kay) Whatley, Carolyn Sorrell Zahnow, and Donna Campbell Smith. Their books are available at the Gallery on Nash, 213 East Nash St., Louisburg.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Two pedestrians were killed in wrecks within a week's time.
On Nov. 4, Anthony Perry, 61, died from injuries sustained in a crash on Old U.S. 64 near Avon Brantley Road -- not far from his N.C. 39 home.
On Nov. 10, Sterling Junior Edgerton, 92, died from injuries sustained in a crash in the 300 block of East River Road.
According to Trooper I. Al-wadei, Perry was walking east in the roadway of Old U.S. 64 the evening of Nov. 4 when he was hit from behind by a sport utility vehicle.

ROXBORO -- The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging in partnership with the Person County Senior Center is hosting a SCAM JAM on Dec. 5 at the Person County Senior Center. The center is located at 87 Semora Road.
Registration begins at 1:30 p.m., and the presentations begin at 2.

Larry Keeler directs the Louisburg High School band through military favorites.