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LOUISBURG -- In just a little over a week, Franklin County officials -- especially the county commissioners -- will come face-to-face with the reality of increasing growth -- and the challenges it brings.
Those challenges come with a price tag, nearly $100 million in anticipated costs in the next decade just for schools -- and even more after that.

LOUISBURG -- County commissioners took two actions Tuesday night that management said is necessary to procure a long-term water solution.
A water study done in the summer of 2016 revealed that about 90 percent of the county's water supply was either being used or had already been allocated -- meaning the county had to more prudently allocate its remaining supply.

BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY. In the spring, Franklinton staff -- with the approval of property owners -- planted the Franklinton Flower Fields between Mason Street and N.C. 56 at the former Burlington Mills site. The sunflowers sprang to life this summer and staff and officials have invited folks to visit the site. Above, the field serves as a gateway for the town, said Franklinton Town Manager Zach Steffey.

LOUISBURG -- Health and education leaders are reminding residents, staff, parents and students to protect themselves against COVID-19.
The state has stopped collecting and publishing specific data, said Franklin County Health Director Scott LaVigne, but secondary data sets -- such as COVID-19 virus particles per person found in statewide wastewater samples -- and metrics, such as emergency department visits for respiratory viruses, "point to an increase in [the] COVID-19 virus within North Carolina," he said, "and, by extension, Franklin County."

LOUISBURG -- The case against a suspected murderer probably won't go to trial until the spring of 2024.
Authorities arrested and charged 42-year-old Thomas Lee Hicks Jr. with first degree murder on Nov. 3, 2022 -- a day after Louisburg police allege he shot and killed Ricky Shipman.
Investigators allege Hicks shot Shipman outside the In & Out convenience store at the corner of S. Main Street and Bunn Road at about 11 p.m. on Nov. 2.

A news story in last week's edition of The Franklin Times contained a factual error.
The story indicated that the Louisburg Town Council had requested a change to the setup of the Friday Nights on the Tar event.
The council did not make that request.
The change was made by Town Administrator Sean Medlin who said "I made the decision. There was no input from anyone."

Assistant Franklin County Manager Will Doerfer

It's hard to believe but, yes, that really is Labor Day you're seeing in your rear-view mirror.
And yes, the first day of fall -- the official first day, not the "fall" that begins with Labor Day -- is just a couple of weeks plus a couple of days away.
That's really difficult to believe, although the remnants of old Hurricane Whatzhername brought us a little rain and markedly cooler temperatures, a harbinger of the fall-ish weather that's in our future.

If you've been down U.S. 401 lately, between Flat Rock Church Road/Clifton Pond Road to the Rolesville bypass, you may have noticed a decided lack of thin, orange cones.
That's because, save for a few spots here and there, all four lanes of north and south travel along that stretch of roadway are open to motorists.

Dear editor:
Last week I paid over $3,000 in Franklin County taxes knowing it will help pay someone from South Carolina $20,000 a month to find water for our county.
Yet none of us are given a report on what this lobbyist is doing. Plus, trying to get a report from Kim Denton and the incompetent county commissioners is impossible.

Raleigh, NC--Memorial services for Alice Godfrey, age 80, who died on Monday, September 4, 2023, will be held 1 p.m., Friday, September 8, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

Kittrell, NC--Funeral services for Andrew "Slick" Jones Jr., age 79, who died on Sunday, September 3, 2023, will be held 3 p.m., Saturday, September 9, from the Hawkins Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Franklinton with Rev. Priscilla Egerton Massenburg officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Foy Ray Mozingo, 77, of Louisburg, passed away Thursday morning, August 31, 2023, at his home, surrounded by his family.

LOUISBURG, NC--James Arthur Hedgepeth, 59, of Louisburg, passed away Saturday evening, September 2, 2023, at his home, surrounded by his family.

BUNN -- Franklinton's time-tested, highly talented veteran group and Bunn's young, energetic and blossoming young club provided quite the contrast -- and quite the entertaining match -- during Tuesday's Big East Conference volleyball showdown at the Bunn Dome.
In a way, both teams accomplished what they set out to, though only Franklinton got the win by claiming a three-set sweep of 25-19, 25-23 and 25-17.

LOUISBURG -- One team was destined to obtain a much-needed, feel-good victory when Louisburg hosted Franklinton last Friday for a key non-league football tussle between a pair of winless clubs.
But Franklinton is without a victory no more as the Red Rams were strong start to finish while defeating the Warriors by a convincing 34-6 margin at the LHS Football Field.

EDENTON -- The Collins Bass for Cash held its final regular season tournament of 2023 recently in Edenton on the Chowan River.
A total of 71 teams competed in the event but it was Chuck Murray and Randy Groves who finished on top as they brought over 23 pounds of bass to the scales.
With their win, Murray and Groves took home the top prize of $2,425, the first-place side pot of $1,410, and the Triton Gold contingency prize which was a bonus of $8,000.

BUNN -- In the world of high school football, few things are as satisfying as picking up a victory before a bye week -- especially when it was the first one of the campaign.
Bunn dropped the first two games of The Andre' Davis Era, but bounced back in grand fashion last week by registering a 42-6 triumph over the homestanding Granville Central Panthers.

SALEM, VA. -- Jose Sibrian homered and drove in three runs, Jadher Areinamo tripled and had two hits while recording his league best 41st multi-hit game of the season and starter Jesus Rivero pitched through five scoreless innings as the Carolina Mudcats defeated the homestanding Salem Red Sox 6-1 on Tuesday night at Carillion Clinic Field.

BUNN -- Following last season's disappointment, it was easy to wonder about the immediate future of the tradition-laden Bunn High School volleyball program.
The Ladycats lost several key seniors from that group, and only a few standouts with extensive varsity experience were set to return.
But worry not, BHS fans, help was on the way. And it came from just a few miles up the road.

BUNN -- This time last year, it was almost unfathomable to think that Andre' Davis would now be the head football coach of the Bunn Wildcats.
Davis, a former Bunn great who went on to star collegiately at Elon and Campbell, had returned to his alma mater to serve as an assistant to then-first year skipper Dennis Burton.

FRANKLINTON -- Depth, skill, experience, determination -- the Franklinton Lady Rams seem to have it all on the volleyball court this fall.
About the only thing the elite-level program hasn't enjoyed in recent years is a deep run in the Class 3-A State Playoffs -- and that's a clear goal that veteran coach Tom Harris has set for his club in 2023.

FRANKLINTON -- Lost among the fervor of last year's Elite Eight basketball season at Franklinton was the fact that most of those performers also played on the football squad -- and just about all of them were seniors.
Certainly, Franklinton's Senior Class, especially on the boys side, was one of the best in recent school history, and their collective graduation leaves a void that will be hard to replace in several sports -- including football.

LOUISBURG -- If the 2022 volleyball campaign seemed like an anomaly for the Louisburg Warriors, there's a reason for that.
Because it most certainly was.
A program known for its collection of conference championships and deep playoff runs, the Lady Warriors struggled to an uncharacteristic losing season, including a first-round loss in the Class 2-A State Playoffs.

LOUISBURG -- Not sure quite what to expect from the Louisburg High School football squad this season?
You're definitely not alone as the Warriors enter the campaign with a few question marks to go with a handful of proven standouts.
The first question mark is how LHS will do in its new league as the Warriors are leaving the Big East Conference for the Northern Lakes Conference...

The 66th Allen de Hart Concert Series season kicks off Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. with the North Carolina Symphony performing 'A Little Night Music, a collection of light classics by Mozart, Copland, Bizet, and more. Michelle Di Russo will be the evening's conductor.
Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is a vital and honored component of North Carolina's cultural life.

Although much of the planned Sept. 19 meeting between the Franklin County commissioners and the Franklin County Board of Education is expected to focus on long-term school facility needs, it's likely that part of the meeting will touch on a $1.5 million funding shortfall the schools are experiencing this year.
When the current fiscal year's budget was presented to the commissioners last summer, commissions granted the district only half of the $3 million it requested for capital improvements.

LOUISBURG -- Two groups continued their push for county action.
One of them brought a 1,600-signature petition, calling, again, for the Animal Services director's termination.
During the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Aug. 7 meeting, Zebulon resident and animal rescuer Carla Roshitsh called upon the board to fire Director Lynn Bowling.

FRANKLINTON -- Congressman Don Davis continued his "Live the Dream Down East" tour with a "Building a Brighter Future" School Tour, including a stop at Franklinton Elementary School.
Last week's tour, Davis said, highlighted the importance of equipping children with the tools for a successful, brighter future, emphasizing early education, apprenticeship and workforce training, and school safety.

UNVEILING IN BUNN. The Franklin Correctional Center in Bunn unveiled the name of its educational building during a ceremony recently. The Franklin Correctional Center's Institution of Higher Learning houses offender high school equivalency classes as well as college classes through the partnership between the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (DAC) and Vance-Granville Community College.

BUNN -- Town commissioners said they would look to partner with the school system to install a crosswalk at a critical intersection.
Going back to at least the spring, Bunn officials and staff have discussed installing a crosswalk in front of Bunn High School, at the intersection of Bunn Elementary School Road and S. Main Street/N.C. 39.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Youngsville authorities arrested a Chatham County man wanted on near-deadly assault charges.
Authorities had taken out warrants against Javian Guillermo, charging him with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury related to a shooting in Chatham County on Aug. 25.