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LOUISBURG -- If you let the actions of terrorists change your life, they have won, said Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Tedesco as he addressed the audience at the annual Sept. 11th tribute in downtown Louisburg on Monday morning.
Tedesco, who was inside the Pentagon that fateful morning not far from where the airliner hit the building, said that in the wake of that attack, he realized that "Americans should go on with their lives -- do not change what you do."

LOUISBURG -- Leaders snipped the ribbon on a building that will house the staff and equipment needed meet the 911 demands of Franklin County's 74,000 residents -- and rising -- and the countless folks who pass through every day.
Cutover to the new 5,200-square-foot building, -- which replaces an 850-square-foot space -- is slated for Sept. 27.

LOUISBURG -- There was a lot of positive information in the state's most recent performance analysis of Franklin County Schools although, clearly, there is still work to be done.
Here are a few highlights:

LOUISBURG -- A Franklinton man accused of choking a teenager to death was slated for a probable cause hearing at press time.
According to a social media post by Sheriff Kevin White, deputies arrested Matthew John Harris on Aug. 25, alleging he assaulted and killed 17-year-old Jaxon Williams.
In his Facebook post, White noted that Williams "was senselessly murdered at the hands of a so-called friend.

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested a man in a fatal shooting.
Authorities arrested Wesley Earl Johnson on Wednesday, charging the 62-year-old with first degree murder in the death of 38-year-old Louisburg resident Terrence Maurice Strickland.
Town police responded to a home in the 100 block of Loy Drive at about 3:15 a.m. on Wednesday to find Strickland suffering from a gunshot wound.

Newborn Lorenzo Paxston Haake

I'm willing to stipulate that college for me was a long time ago, although not as long ago as son Nick would suggest.
If you asked him, the college of my era was held around a campfire in front of a cave and classes were often interrupted by stopping to knap flint into arrowheads or skin the occasional bear for winter garb.
But even though it's been awhile, one lesson I learned has been beneficial over the years.

To say it's been the dog days of summer in Franklin County would be a bit of an understatement.
Anyone who has flipped through the pages of The Franklin Times the past couple of months will have easily come across a few news stories about animal welfare advocates urging county officials to make changes in its animal services department -- most importantly, asking for the termination of the department's director.
Those folks said they were not going away and they've been true to their word, attending almost every meeting for the past few months.

Dear editor: In the paper dated Aug. 23, 2023, in the column labeled "My Turn," -- "a brief visit with old friends find the same problems, better solutions," several important and vital points were made: How people were desperate for affordable housing and this was a nationwide crisis.

Dear editor: This week (Sept 10-16, 2023) is Arts in Education Week. North Carolina is a culturally enriched state with roots that run deep into the arts. From music to outdoor dramas to pottery, North Carolina is a popular haven for creative people.

Dear editor: I read with interest several columns in the September 7, 2023 edition of The Franklin Times and want to make a brief statement on several topics.
As most residence of the county knows (especially our political leaders), I have been an active supporter of advancing the quality of life in this county my entire life (I was born and raised in this county).

Manson, NC--Abner Bryant Cobb Jr., 65, of Manson, died on September 9, 2023. He was born on April 7, 1958, to the late Abner B. Sr. and Margaret Wilkerson Cobb. In addition to his parents, Bryant was predeceased by his sister, Margaret Anne Cobb.

LOUISBURG, NC--Charlene Hudson Wheeler, 56, of Louisburg died Thursday, September 7, 2023.

Spring Hope, NC--Charlotte Woodlief Bartholomew, 62, of Spring Hope passed away on September 6, 2023. She was born on January 17, 1961, to Mattie Frazier Cash and the late Stancil E. Woodlief. In addition to her father, Charlotte was predeceased by a brother, Kenny Woodlief.

Douglas McClester Black, age 75, died on Sunday, August 27, 2023, with his wife and life partner of 33 years, Alicia Black by his side after a brief illness where he rested peacefully in hospice care.

LOUISBURG, NC--James Douglas "Buddy" Clark, 71, died September 11, 2023. He was born on November 12, 1951, to the late Arthur Douglas and Mary Sue Floyd Clark. In addition to his parents, Buddy was predeceased by a sister, Evelyn Clark.

RED OAK -- One team on the move up in the Big East Conference met another one already there when upstart Northern Nash tangled with tradition-rich powerhouse Franklinton on Tuesday in a key league volleyball showdown.
Northern Nash showed some spunk and plenty of overall improvement, but the Lady Rams are still the queens of the Big East until an opponent states otherwise.

WAKE FOREST -- Franklinton made its second early-season foray into Wake County last Friday night -- and experienced the same result.
But unlike the campaign-opening, one-sided loss at Apex three weeks ago, the Red Rams had their chances to make things interesting at Wakefield, but an inability to cash in during trips to the red zone in the first half would ultimately be a key during Franklinton's 41-6 setback versus the Wolverines in non-league football action.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Using geography and school histories, there isn't much of a reason for Franklinton and Nash Central to be huge volleyball rivals.
But that's been the case the last few years as the clubs have jousted for supremacy in the Big East Conference standings.
Franklinton has a rich spike tradition, while Nash Central boasts an upstart program that has made huge overall strides since 2020.

RALEIGH -- Too much Davin McCoy proved to be too much last Friday night for the Louisburg High School Warriors during their non-conference prep football matchup at North Raleigh Christian Academy. McCoy, NRCA's sophomore standout running back, delivered 225 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries as the Knights rallied from a halftime deficit to register a 40-24 home victory over the Warriors.

BUNN -- Bunn registered the upset of the year last season in the Big East Conference when the Wildcats opened their league slate with a stunning home victory against long-time powerhouse Rocky Mount.
But unfortunately for the Wildcats, they didn't win a contest the rest of the campaign, while the Gryphons bounced back to go 7-4 en route to qualifying for the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

STANHOPE -- As much as she hoped it would be otherwise, patience has proven to be Melanie (Davis) Hicks' greatest asset during her tenure as Southern Nash High School's volleyball coach.
Hicks' program has been on the ascent since she took over -- and now the Ladybirds are taking off full throttle this fall.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The Baltimore Orioles are enjoying an amazing renaissance season on the diamond this summer -- and former Louisburg College standout Cedric Mullins is playing a key role in their success.
Mullins, 28, has helped the Orioles to a 91-52 worksheet in 2023 -- the best record in the American League and the second-best mark in Major League Baseball behind the Atlanta Braves.

The Tar River Center for History and Culture announces their lineup of events for 2023-2024.
This year's programs start on Thursday, Sept. 21 with journalist and reporter Scott Mason. Known as the Tar Heel Traveler, Mason will share his experiences about some of the most memorable people and places across North Carolina.

CHERRY HILL PERFORMANCE. Acclaimed pianist Solomon Eichner will perform a tribute to composer Sergei Rachmaninoff at Cherry Hill on Sunday, Sept. 17. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Russian born pianist and composer, Eichner will play a number of Rachmaninoff's works, including several of the well-known preludes. Also on the program will be works of other composers such as Brahms, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, and Gershwin.

In this month's article we are going to share information about a cool season vegetable crop that is currently being planted. Collard Greens are a cool season crop that grow as a loose bouquet rather than a tight "head" like a cabbage. Collard greens are one of the most popular grown vegetables in the South.
Collards are grown during early spring and fall because the plant can withstand frosts and light freezes. Set transplants out in early Spring or late Summer.

RJ McCarthy's newest novel, "Quarry Steps Between," is the fourth in the Tony Quarry/Carolina Mystery crime novel series.
The story is set in 2013 in the fictional town of Henson Creek. Now 40 years old, Tony Quarry remains as dedicated to the welfare of his family and community as he is to physical fitness.

LOUISBURG -- Efforts to register voters will be permitted at the next Louisburg Friday Night on the Tar event as part of a stop-gap decision made by the town council during a special morning meeting last Friday.
The meeting was called to give the council a chance to decide on a resolution that would allow political activity at a town-sponsored event -- but questions about wording in that proposed resolution caused it to be tabled for possible revisions.

LOUISBURG -- Property owners, Franklin County officials and other interested parties spent an hour and a half arguing about a cell phone tower.
Ultimately, they had a failure to communicate during the Aug. 21 meeting and decided to table the hotly-contested matter for a month.
Verizon Wireless petitioned the county for a special use permit to erect a 245-foot cell tower at 380 JA Rogers Road.
The property is near Freedom Ranch -- a non-profit animal sanctuary.

FRANKLINTON -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Franklin County man who was shot while trying to force his way into a home.
The injuries to Naquan O. Davis were not life-threatening, but he was charged with first degree burglary, breaking and entering with the intent to terrorize/injure, and misdemeanor stalking for his role in the incident.

Franklin County's Meredith Potter recently attended the annual North Carolina Association of County Commissioners' Youth Voice in Raleigh. The North Carolina 4-H and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension service partnered with the NCACC on a multi-year Initiative to increase youth involvement in county government. The initiative is designed to help youth learn more about county government as well as how to become more involved in local decision making.

Seven Franklin County 4-H youth competed in air pistol (junior), air rifle (junior and senior), rifle (junior and senior) and shotgun (junior and senior) competitions at the Eastern 4-H Center in Columbia, recently. It was their first time competing, some started with the team in April, and their scores were high. Franklin County 4-H had not been to a regional competition in over eight years.