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LOUISBURG -- Voters in Louisburg generated a sweeping political shift, putting three newcomers on the town council.
And, voters in Franklinton kept the status quo with its mayor, but elected a new commissioner.
Bunn voters elected the only two candidates who ran for two seats there, but just barely.
And, Youngsville voters kept the status quo, electing to put two incumbents back on the board.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners received the schedule of values -- the set of rules and standards used by the tax office to ascertain the assessed valuation of property throughout the county.
But, not before commissioners expressed concerns about the condensed timeline by which they have to approve the document -- which will serve as the foundation block by which all property is evaluated in the county.

BUNN -- After listening to a hall full of residents, Bunn commissioners fell silent.
Their inaction on Monday night left the county scrambling to find a new tower location to fit into an improved emergency radio communication system.
Franklin County Emergency Communications Director Christy Shearin petitioned the town to locate a 300-foot tower on property shared with the Bunn Fire Department at 505 Main Street.

LOUISBURG -- The chorus call for changes within the Franklin County animal shelter continued on Monday.
And, the promise of progress echoed from county officials.
A handful of animal rescue representatives and animal welfare advocates, again, asked the board for improvements at the animal shelter -- including more adoption hours, more transparency and, quite frankly, a change in leadership in the department director's chair.

Darryl and Daniel Wright

Not that there was any doubt that it was coming, but fall has made its appearance official.
The first frost of the season nipped back a lot of the tender plants, especially the flowers, and was fair warning that far colder temperatures are in our future.
Then, as is typical here in North Carolina, the temperatures warmed back up, a tease that Mother Nature often offers just before seriously cold weather and hard freezes jolt us back to reality.

I must admit, Franklin County is a pretty beautiful place.
In the 22 years that I've been here at The Franklin Times, I've probably been to every corner and seen every hill and verdant green.
So, it's not often that I think about Franklin County and envy how it's not a prison yard, but, on Monday night, there we were.
Well, at least that's where Rose Holmes was.

Dear editor:
I own 5644 Highway 96 West, Youngsville, NC which is a truck yard/terminal, built by the Standard Trucking Company, over 50 years ago.
In Oct. 2021, I called Franklin County and spoke to multiple people about the overflow truck yard behind my main fence that hadn't been used for a few years.

CREEDMOOR, NC -- Susan "Diane" Harris 71, of Creedmoor, NC, passed away Sunday, October 29, 2023, at Universal Healthcare in Oxford.

HENDERSON, NC -- Laura King Tyson, 77, of Henderson passed away peacefully on Friday, October 20, 2023 surrounded by her family. She was born on September 30, 1946 in Franklin County to Preston King and Mary Helen Griffin.

NASHVILLE, NC -- Funeral services for Mary Delores Cheeks who died on Thursday, November 2, 2023 were held noon Wednesday, November 8, from the Bunn Chapel Baptist Church in Nashville, NC. Burial will follow in the Forest Hill Cemetery, Nashville, NC.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Raymond Elwood Lanham, 79, passed away at his home, surrounded by his wife and family by his side.

California, MD--Sadie Layton Ashmore, age 89, born June 26, 1934, died October 29, 2023.

LOUISBURG -- Hard to believe, it's been three years since the Louisburg Warriors reached the postseason as part of their best-ever run to the semifinals.
The wait proved to be worth it as the Warriors tangled with Pittsboro Northwood last Friday in an offensive-minded, back-and-forth showdown in the opening round of the Class 2-A State Playoffs at the LHS Football Field.

CLINTON -- It is, really, pretty amazing when you think about it -- how Bunn High School's boys soccer program has ascended to become one of the best in the area in such a short period of time.
Just a few years ago, Bunn didn't have enough players to field a team during the COVID era.

LOUISBURG -- It was a Big East Conference kind of day during the recent Class 3-A East Regional Cross Country Championships.
And for good reason.
Not only is the league blessed with some talented runners this fall, those performers also enjoyed a home-field advantage at Owens Park in Franklin County -- one of the courses on the Big East's event rotation.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton High School's boys soccer team gained some much-needed continuity this fall -- and the results showed on the field.
The Red Rams -- one of the area's most tradition-rich programs -- went 12-7 overall while finishing in third place in the always-competitive Big East Conference. Franklinton also reached the Class 3-A State Playoffs before falling in the first round by a 4-1 margin at Southern Wayne last Monday.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Here are last Friday's results and this Friday's schedule for the Class 2-A and 3-A State Football Playoffs:

DURHAM -- The Durham Bulls will host their annual Wool E. Bull's Winter Wonderland at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The holiday-themed event will run from November 22-December 31 at the DBAP.
There will be several entertainment options, including lights, a sledding hill, igloos on the DBAP infield, an express train, a bistro with full bar, a winterland market and a light show -- along with the Arctic Chill Tavern.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Christian Buffaloe, a local Kyokushin Karate fighter and instructor, will compete in the "13th Kyokushin Karate World Open Championships" in Tokyo, Japan on November 17-19.
This tournament is held once every four years in Japan and features the best 200 Kyokushin Karate fighters in the world.

Louisburg High School Isaiah Eddie chases down Northwood quarterback Carson Fortunes during last Friday's first-round playoff game.

BUNN -- Rep. Matthew Winslow presented town officials with a ceremonial check they will use to reimburse themselves for town hall renovations.
Then, the board took action to protect their investment.
In October, Winslow and Sen. Lisa Barnes presented the state budget, includ it's impact on the region, Franklin County and the towns within.
Bunn received $50,000 in state funds to renovate its aged town hall -- essentially a home structure that dates back to the 1930s.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County management and its engineering team expect to receive new bids for its Youngsville convenience center site by today.
In January, Franklin County hired Garner-based Municipal Engineering Services Co [MESCO] to provide the final design work and perform construction administration for a newly proposed solid waste site at 2275 Long Mill Road -- just outside Youngsville.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County will host a Broadband Forum at 7 p.m. November 13, at Franklin Plaza, 279 S. Bickett Boulevard
Jeff Brooks with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology's Broadband Infrastructure Office will be the guest speaker.
Brooks will be talking about broadband grant programs and the progress that has been made in Franklin County to expand broadband Internet.

LOUISBURG -- Police launched Operation Boost in an effort to help a local store crack down on shoplifting.
Walmart, said Police Chief Jason Abbott, has experienced an increase in thefts and the Louisburg Police Department created the initiative in response.
Police, Abbott said, are working directly with the store's Loss Prevention Office to increase criminal enforcement of shoplifting at the store.

LOUISBURG -- During Monday's Franklin County Commission meeting, some residents asked leaders to hold on to history.
And, some asked the board to let go of the past.
Louisburg Historic District Inc. Chair Bobby Cooper, again, asked the board to hold off on tearing down the old Louisburg Theater -- which, essentially, sits across from Louisburg Town Hall.

It's not often that you see firemen start a fire -- especially when it's near their own fire station. But Saturday afternoon, Justice Fire Chief Kelly Harris (kneeling, right) lit a fire while Rodney Smith, chairman of the Justice department's board of directors, (kneeling left) watched as the blaze burned -- and it burned the mortgage to the fire station.

LOUISBURG -- In advance of Veterans Day, Franklin County has is illuminating the Franklin County Courthouse in green through Nov. 13 as part of Operation Green Light, a national collaborative initiative to support military veterans, raise awareness about the unique challenges and the resources that are available at the county, state, and federal level to assist veterans and their families.