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YOUNGSVILLE -- Developers of a 110-acre, 1.4 million-square-foot business park expect to have tenants in place and be complete with the first of three phases by the spring of 2024.
Last week, as construction equipment rumbled in the background, and their U.S. 1 North Commerce Center banner hung between two excavators, Summit Real Estate Group brass, along with their development partners, county and state officials, and staff broke ground on a site that leaders said they saw coming.

LOUISBURG -- A judge refused to lower the bond in a murder case, but did agree to release an alleged getaway vehicle to the suspect's family.
In Franklin County Superior Court last week, an attorney for Dillon Piper petitioned the court to have his bond reduced from $2.5 million.
When Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested Piper and Gavin Miller for the January shooting death of 19-year-old Hamilton Woods Jr., they were each placed in the Franklin County Jail in lieu of a $5 million bond.

LOUISBURG -- Maria Parham Franklin has gotten over COVID.
That was the message the facility's executive director of operations delivered to county commissioners during their Sept. 18 meeting.
It was a better message than the one Emilee Johnson presented to commissioners in March 2022 -- when the COVID pandemic kept hospital numbers and revenues lower than anticipated.

FRANKLINTON -- Town officials agreed to support a high-efficiency rail project that's expected to connect Washington D.C. to Florida.
But, they haven't yet put their money where their mouth is. And, they want to give state transportation officials more lip about the project's design.
The S-Line is a freight line connecting Richmond, Va., to Tampa, Fla and Virginia and North Carolina has bought the right of way between Petersburg, Va. and Raleigh for freight and passenger rail services.

Barbara Thorne (left) and Barbara Oram, part of the Grub Club, with the Louisburg Senior Center

Well, it's now official.
Fall has fallen upon us. Actually it was washed in last Saturday during chilly, sporadic rains that left little doubt that the seasons are a'changing.
Although we got only a couple of inches or so of rain out Mapleville way over the weekend, it certainly seemed like more.
Fortunately the wind didn't amount to much but the breezes were strong enough to drop a fair number of branches and a couple of limbs -- just a day after I had cleaned up those from the previous rain storm.

So, when I was at the Sept. 18 Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting, I quite literally pondered my life's decisions as a special use permit hearing -- the second of three, mind you -- devolved into some sort of controlled chaos for hours.
A resident was even escorted from the public meeting via sheriff's deputy.
I literally figured it was the most extreme public meeting that I'd ever be part of.

Dear editor: I am the 77-year-old resident and 25-year-abutting-property-owner who was evicted from the Franklin County Commissioners' meeting last week.
I emphatically reiterate what I stated, and The Franklin Times accurately reported, "No, you don't understand Chairman Schriver."
Your rationale for my eviction as reported in The Franklin Times " ...

WAKE FOREST, NC - Charles Elliott Raynor, 96, of Wake Forest, formerly of Raleigh, died Thursday evening, September 21, 2023.

Franklinton, NC--Betty Jean Allen Dorsey, age 84 passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 24, 2023, at her home in Franklinton with family members by her side. She was born March 18, 1939, in Granville County to the late George Snow and Myrtie Medlin Allen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Lee Dorsey and by four brothers.

Louisburg, NC--Casa Nichole Sarvis Phelps, 42, of Louisburg died Tuesday, September 19, 2023. She was born on October 3, 1980, the daughter of Darlene Dammann Stroud and William David Sarvis.

HENDERSSON, NC-Norton Lee Perkinson, 50, died Sunday, September 24, 2023 at his home in the Vicksboro community after a lengthy illness. He was born on April 13, 1973 to the late Willie "Bill" Perkinson and Marian Woodruff Perkinson Watson.

Franklinton, NC--Funeral services for Winnie Bell Neal, age 97, who died on Monday, September 25, 2023, will be held on 12 p.m., Friday, September 29, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Andre Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in the Mitchner's Grove Church Cemetery.

RED OAK - Maybe it was a bit overstated in the off-season to wonder how the Northern Nash Fighting Knights would fare on the gridiron this fall following the loss of some key seniors from last year's club -- players who were known not only for their lofty talents but also their important leadership skills.
Certainly, those performers were destined to be difficult to replace, but Northern Nash has done exactly that as the Knights are off to yet another strong start this fall.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Two young squads met two Wednesdays ago when Franklinton traveled to Nash Central for a key early-season matchup in the Big East Conference -- and it became apparent that the visiting Red Rams are further along in their development.
Franklinton, under first-year head coach Bri Folds -- has high hopes not just for the future, but also the present as the Red Rams look to be a contender in the always-strong Big East.

FRANKLINTON -- Nash Central has had Franklinton's gridiron number since joining the Big East Conference -- and that trend continued last Thursday night.
The Bulldogs broke open a tight game with a third-quarter uprising en route to delivering their third straight victory over the Red Rams -- a 42-8 conquest at the FHS Football Field.

BUNN -- Bunn High School earned its first victory of the 2023 girls tennis season last Thursday as the Ladycats secured a 5-2 decision over homestanding Franklinton in a key Big East Conference court showdown.
Franklinton had defeated BHS earlier in the campaign, but the Ladycats showed their improvement by claiming the rematch for veteran head coach Dale Murphy.

ZEBULON. - The Carolina Mudcats, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, have announced their 2024 regular-season schedule beginning on April 5 with the season opener in Salem against the Red Sox.
The first home game of the 2024 season schedule is set for, April 9 against the Down East Wood Ducks at Five County Stadium.

HENDERSON -- It felt like a bit of a reunion last Friday when Louisburg traveled to Vance County for a crucial Northern Lakes Conference football meeting.
The Vipers are coached by former LHS assistant Aaron Elliott, and two of the Warriors' top players -- Shamir Sheppard and Ronald Rainey -- transferred to Vance County in the off-season.

FINISHED PRODUCT. Sylvia Crudup, Lillian Orton, and Tonya Brodie display their finished items during Crafting with Kim.

GRUB CLUB. The lunch group recently enjoyed an outing in the area. Left to right, front row: Sue Leonard, Linda Archer, Maire Mortin, Geneva Alston, Barbara Thorne, and Mamie Person; back row: Kandy Proctor, Sonnie Branch, Sylvia Crudup, and Tonya Brodie. The Grub Club goes out to lunch every fourth Friday of the month.

YOUNGSVILLE -- A long-awaited road project is completed, town management said.
Well, at least the majority of it.
"The Main Street Improvement Project is done," Town Manager Nathan Page told commissioners during the board's Sept. 14 meeting.
"... I received news that Five Points is supposed to start some time at the beginning of the year."

LOUISBURG -- A woman traveling between Louisburg and Bunn over the weekend was taken to the hospital after a tree fell on her car.
According to a report by Trooper C.I. Hundley, Janice Lynn Johnson of Lake Royale was traveling west on N.C. 98 near Floyd Road at about 10:45 a.m. on Sept. 23 when a tree feel on top of the 2006 Audi she was driving.

LOUISBURG -- A local youth organization wrapped up a successful summer campaign.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central North Carolina (BGCNCNC) held a 9-week summer camp that started on June 12.
The Franklin County Unit, located in Louisburg, gave 63 kids the opportunity to participate in a robust program in a safe, welcoming environment for the summer.