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BUNN -- Town planners are drafting policy that would allow Franklin County to build an emergency services radio tower at Bunn High School.
It would require planning board review and commissioner action, with public hearings at each step of the process.
Franklin County staff would only say that they are working with Bunn to resolve an appropriate location for the public safety radio tower.

LOUISBURG -- Investigators with the State Fire Marshal's office are investigating a blaze that totally destroyed a Louisburg business.
Initially, though, the cause of the fire that destroyed Clifton Auto Sales on Bickett Boulevard remains undetermined.
"It's undetermined, right now, because of the damage," said Randy Lanham, Louisburg's fire chief as well a fire investigator with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

LOUISBURG -- Following another prolonged discussion of a temporary "white flag" shelter, the Louisburg Town Council tabled the whole matter pending further study.
A white flag shelter is a temporary shelter that would be available only during a period of very cold weather -- and open for only a very few hours at a time.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County investigators linked an addictive drug to a teen's death last week.
Franklin County authorities responded to a home in the 1700 block of Old Halifax Road the afternoon of Feb. 17 to find 18-year-old Jacob Cope dead.
In an incendiary social media post on Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin White attributed the death to Fentanyl.
"I am angry," White said. "Mad as hell actually.

CASTALIA -- "Firefighters are a brotherhood. We look out for one of our own." Leland Joyner, chief of the Castalia Fire Department, described the sentiment but not the scope of the outpouring of fire trucks and more than 80 firefighters Saturday for a tribute parade to Castalia Fire Captain David "Pac-Man" Braswell.
Capt. Braswell, an active member of the Castalia Fire Department for 38 years, is out on extended medical leave.
Along with Joyner, Braswell watched the massive demonstration of support from his front porch along NC 58 in Castalia.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Funeral services for a longtime firefighter and community stalwart are set for today, Feb. 29.
Youngsville Fire Department Safety Officer Louis Dunston died Feb. 20, in what is characterized as a line of duty death. He was 78.
On Feb. 19, the U.S. Fire Administration said, Dunston was participating in departmental training.
The next day, Dunston experienced an apparent cardiac arrest, authorities said, and could not be revived.

Sinorris Branch at the Louisburg Senior Center

If you're reading this column while it's hot off the press, you're reading a Leap Year edition on the 29th day of February.
It's one of those calendar-making quirks which makes the every-four-year adjustment that is just plain weird, but which makes the numbers work.
But, in any case, we've all pretty much survived February, one of the truly dreary months of the year and, if we can get through the first couple of weeks of March, maybe springtime will brighten things up.

Early voting ends this Saturday and we have a primary election slated for Tuesday.
And, no, I'm not going to blame you if this primary election has sort of snuck up on you.
And, yes, I am going to admit that I have yet to cast a ballot.
But, that doesn't mean I won't.

Dear editor: On Feb. 22, 2024, Laken Riley was found dead. She was a nursing student and was reported missing after she did not return from jogging on the campus of The University of Georgia.
The initial autopsy indicated she died from blunt force trauma to the head.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Annie Bell Hicks, age 91, who died on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 2, from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Douglas Harris, Jr. officiating.

Zebulon, NC-- Bobby Dean Edwards was born in Pink Hill, NC on September 17, 1957. He departed this earth on February 22, 2024. He is survived by his wife Marcia Jones Edwards and daughters Emily (John) Jones and Paula Edwards; grandsons Owen Weston and Waylon Jones; sister Georgia Bowman; brother Charles (Lisa) Edwards; sister-in-law Mary Ann Masterman (Ronnie) and sister-in-law Dottie Jones; nieces and nephews, many cousins, and extended family. He predeceased by his parents Roscoe and Ida Mae Edwards; brothers Chester Edwards, Tommy Edwards, Joseph Edwards and sisters Janice Edwards and Elzie Edwards Ezzell.

RALEIGH, NC -- Funeral services for Charles Elbert Alston, age 65, who died on Monday, February 26, 2024, will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024 from the Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg with Dr. Timothy J. Walker, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow in the Walnut Grove Church Cemetery.

Miami, FL--Funeral services for Chester Lee Cyrus, age 86, formerly of Hollister, NC who died on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, will be held on Sunday, March 3, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Sidney Dunston officiating. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Grove Church Cemetery.

Sharpsburg, NC -- Funeral services for Clifton Woodard, age 69, who died on Thursday, February 22, 2024, were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 28, 2024 from the Perry's Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Randolph Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Perry's Missionary Church Cemetery.

Hollister, NC--Funeral services for Donald "Ducky" Silver, Sr., age 69, who died on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Deral Hedgpeth officiating. Burial will follow in the Silver Family Cemetery.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Evelyn "Alma" Alston, age 73, who died on Friday, February 23, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 1, 2024 from the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Warrenton with Pastor Michael Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Shiloh Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Funeral services for Gaynell Thomas-Jones, 71, who died on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 27, at the First Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Kenneth Alexander officiating.

Kittrell, NC--Howard Ray Gillis, 77, of Kittrell, NC, passed away peacefully on February 23, 2024 at Duke University Medical Center. Howard was born June 8, 1946 to the late Ivey Woodrow Gillis and Georgia Snead Gillis.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Hurley "Whistle" Williams, Jr. age 92, who died on Friday, February 16, 2024, were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, February 25, 2024 from the Haywood Baptist Church in Louisburg. Burial followed in the Haywood Church Cemetery.

Raleigh, NC--Funeral services for Itous "Higgie" Stallings, Jr., age 66, who died on Thursday, February 22, 2024, will be held on Saturday, March 2, at 11 a.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Perry's Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for James Dion Teasley, 55, who died on February 12, 2024, were held 1 p.m. Saturday, February 24, at Greater New Life Church Ministries.

Youngsville, NC -- Funeral services for Louis "Jody" Dunston, age 78, who died on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, February 29, 2024 from the Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville with Rev. Aubrey Cooper and Rev. Steven Wade, officiating.

Wake Forest, NC--Trevor William Medlin, 31, died February 25, 2024 at home in Wake Forest, NC. Trevor was born on April 19, 1992 to parents Tony William Medlin and Julie Hollabaugh.

RED OAK -- Talk about role reversal -- that's been the main theme of the 2023-24 Big East Conference girls basketball season.
Last year, Rocky Mount defeated rival Franklinton four times en route to reaching the Class 3-A State Finals.
Retribution was 365 days in the making for FHS, which has completed a clean sweep of the Gryphons this time around -- including a victory last Friday night over RM in the Big East Conference Tournament Championship Game.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Bunn's continued dominance and Southern Nash's recent resurgence were the main storylines this winter in the always-tough Big East Conference wrestling scene.
Bunn, guided by veteran skipper Parker Haake, claimed its third consecutive regular season league dual crown en route to making the Elite Eight of the Class 2-A State Playoffs (after back-to-back years in the state finals).

RED OAK -- The date was January 6, and the Northern Nash Fighting Knights had just dropped to 6-7 overall following a loss to a strong Fayetteville Westover club.
Though only seven weeks in the past, that time seems forever ago for the now-rolling Knights, who haven't been defeated since as part of a 13-game winning streak.

RALEIGH -- Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, has announced that the team is launching its 2024-25 season ticket campaign.
Current Season Ticket Members will have the first right of refusal to renew their plans through mid-March and will receive information and invoices via email this week.

COLLEGE VISITORS - Founded in 1970, Austin, Texas-based Asleep at the Wheel has been part of the American Roots Music landscape for more than 50 years. Inspired by Western Swing and Honky-Tonk Country, the band has accrued 10 Grammy Awards. They have released more than 20 studio albums, and have had more than 20 singles on the Billboard country charts. Asleep at the Wheel regularly plays between 180 and 200 dates a year, traversing the globe as ambassadors of Western swing music.

LOCAL TEAM FARES WELL. Franklin County Schools' Winterguard team shone in recent competitions. Winterguard, under the direction of Bailey Pelt, Meredith Bryan and Kerry Shimfessel, has been seeing success in their 2024 season. The team is composed of students from schools throughout Franklin County. This year's show is titled "Dance of the Faerie Folk" and is designed to symbolize the myth of joining a faerie circle and dancing until one dies. The team uses conventional flag, rifle, and sabre work and dynamic formations to convey their theme.

SPRING HOPE -- Two men in their forties, one from Spring Hope and one from Bailey, are being held in the Nash County Detention Facility on $100,000 secured bonds after their arrests for alleged sex crimes against a 20-year-old woman described as "mentally incapacitated."
A third man, 39-year-old Aaron Danay Lucas of NC 581, Spring Hope, has reportedly turned himself in after a felony arrest warrant was issued for him but no other information about charges was available at press time.

ESSAY WINNER. Randi Arrington, a 12 year-old Bunn Middle School student and current Carolina's Our Little Preteen North Carolina, recently won a Juneteenth essay contest for 13-18 year olds, held by The Town of Wake Forest. Her winning essay is now on permanent display at the Alston-Massenburg building in Wake Forest. For the past two years, she has also had a segment on the Louisburg radio station, every third Saturday of the month.