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LOUISBURG -- County management presented a budget that would boost employee compensation, buy new vehicles, raise taxes slightly and increase school spending ... just not as much as the school board wanted.
Following three hours of citizens' comments about school spending, County Manager Kim Denton presented commissioners with a $122 million, 2024-25 budget proposal that she said reflects conservative revenue budgeting and reasonable expenditure projections.

LOUISBURG -- The much-discussed and long-delayed Depot Hill project took a step forward Monday night when the Louisburg town council voted unanimously to send the project's preliminary drawings back to the architects to draw detailed construction plans.
Monday night's action by the council came without any pubic discussion of the project by the council.

LOUISBURG -- World War II veteran Joe Balogh flew more than 100 missions during his service to the country -- some routine, some ending with him and his crew bailing from a fiery, bullet-riddled warplane.
But, it was a commercial flight from Asheville to the Nation's Capital that the 103-year-old had waited a lifetime to make.
Last month, Balogh joined dozens of other veterans who took the Blue Ridge Honor Flight to visit war memorials that honor their service.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Without fanfare or public feedback, town commissioners approved a budget that increases spending and raises taxes above revenue neutral -- all in an effort to improve traffic around town and bolster town services.
Town Manager Nathan Page presented the board with a $5.76 million that includes $450,000 for a new automated trash truck, $400,000 to put toward expediting a Youngsville bypass, $350,000 toward repaving projects, $150,000 to begin implementing recommendations from the nearly-complete parks and recreation master plan [which could include a recreation center], and $150,000 to bolster the police department vehicle fleet.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council got its first peek at a proposed 2024-25 budget during a work session Tuesday night -- but only part of the budget was discussed.
Town Administrator Sean Medlin presented the council with his proposed operating budget -- which included a lot of options for the council to consider -- but delayed any discussion of the capital expense side of the budget until another budget meeting that's slated for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, in the Karl Pernell Safety Center.

Lucinda Sharpe and Pattie Jones

Last week eight people, accompanied by a couple dozen of their supporters, made logical, impassioned pleas about the value of certified librarians in our public schools.
The problem is that they were speaking to the wrong audience, at the wrong time and place and, sadly, no matter how persuasive their arguments might have been, they likely wouldn't have changed the situation in North Carolina right now.

I absolutely, positively love public engagement.
As a reporter, quite honestly, my livelihood depends upon it.
Some of the best stories I've had an opportunity to write did not appear on an agenda.
They came from some brave soul -- or souls -- who took a deep breath, conquered their fear of public speaking and told an elected body EXACTLY how they felt.

After leaving the military, I never thought my face would appear on billboards across North Carolina in 2020 as part of the organization "Republican Voters Against Trump," where I was asking fellow Tarheels, and especially fellow veterans, to vote for a Democrat.
Scenes from my childhood home would not have forecast this. Background sounds back then included Rush Limbaugh on radio and Bill O'Reilly on TV.

Dear editor: I can understand Franklin County School System will have to adjust their budget after losing Covid funds like all NC public school systems but why eliminate librarians?
Isn't there still extra funding available for public schools from NC Education Lottery Fund, NC Opioid Settlement Fund and the new NC Sports Betting Fund?

Dear editor: We want to thank our Louisburg Police Department for their unwavering commitment to serve.
In The Franklin Times last week, the article "Cops make day for boy coping with bad health."
This story is another reminder that our Police Department not only cares, but they are making a big difference.

Dear editor: Grandma kept three baskets for all she'd seen and heard. She labeled them in all caps: SENSE and NONSENSE and TOTALLY ABSURD.
Grandma was a farmer's wife and never had much money, but she could separate the wheat from the chaff and spot what was real and what was phoney.
At the end of a day of hard farm labor she served lemonade and cookies in the Oak tree shade She also served up bits of knowledge and wisdom and warned against self-serving political "Koolade."

Louisburg, NC--Carolyn Southall Harrison, 83, of Louisburg died Friday, May 17, 2024. She was born to the late Clellan Wilbur and Josephine Strange Southall in Franklin County on April 2, 1941.

Raleigh, NC--Funeral services for Linda Faye Dunston, age 58, who died on Friday, May 17, 2024, will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, May 25 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Sheila Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Dunston Family Cemetery.

Franklinton, NC--Thomas Winston Dickerson, Sr., 85, of Franklinton died May 19, 2024.

Louisburg, NC--Memorial services for Veraldine "Vera" Ward, age 82, who died on Sunday, May 19, 2024, will be held 1 p.m., Friday, May 24, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Bishop Ralphel Holloman officiating.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- You might never find a more parity-filled Big East Conference baseball season than the one just completed -- and that's not an overstatement.
On a given night, six of the league's seven clubs could beat anyone else on a given night -- and the results reinforce that assessment.
In the end, Bunn and Northern Nash swept their respective series in the final week of the regular season to finish tied for the championship.

FRANKLINTON -- After a rebuilding season in 2023 that featured a young group, Franklinton High School's girls soccer squad showed vast improvement this spring in Coach Bri Folds' second campaign in charge of the tradition-rich program.
As its players continued to develop and mature, Franklinton climbed up the standings in the strong Big East Conference in 2024 -- and even secured a first-round victory in the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The annual North Carolina Coaches Association's East-West All-Star Basketball Games will certainly have a Big East Conference feel to it this summer -- and for good reason.
In the boys contest, Northern Nash veteran head coach Henry Drake will in charge of the East squad, which will featured Knights' senior standouts Izeal Mallory and Randall King.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Living up to expectations -- and even exceeding them -- is the most a high school coach can ask for from his or her club, regardless of the sport.
And Southern Nash softball coach Scott Collie couldn't have asked for more from his Ladybirds squad during a historic 2024 campaign.
Southern Nash went 22-1 overall and didn't lose until a heartbreaker versus Dixon in the third round of the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

GREENSBORO -- Talk about coming through in the clutch when it mattered the most -- that's the story of Cannon Parrish's just-completed season as a discus ace for the Bunn High School boys track and field squad.
After winning the Big East Conference and Class 2-A Mideast Regional crowns in the event, Parrish, a junior, earned a fourth-place finish -- and a prestigious spot on the medals stand -- at last Friday's Class 2-A State Track and Field Championships at historic Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.

KINSTON -- The Carolina Mudcats dropped a pair of games to the homestanding Down East Wood Ducks by scores of 3-2 and 7-2 on Sunday at Grainger Stadium in minor league baseball action.
In the first game, Carolina (23-13) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth thanks to a Yhoswar Garcia groundout, scoring Juan Baez.

DUET. Roger Garcia and Laurel Thomas sing in perfect harmony during the May 16 Senior Fun Day in the Park.

Commissioners Harry Foy and Roxanne Bragg pose for a picture in between serving seniors hot dogs and drinks.

Janice McCracken, creative director of the Garden at Portridge poses in front of the Flower Bar and is quite floral during the farm tour, which took place on Mother's Day.

Jason, Joan and Sarah Dorsey take a moment to feed Black Pearl, Velvet and Wednesday Addams while at Hardly Farm, which was part of the Women in Ag Tour.

DOSWELL, Va. -- At the Kings Dominion Band Contest recently, the 8th grade band from Crosscreek Charter School earned highest honors with a near-perfect score of 96.5 out of 100 points.
They were named "First Place Band" and "Overall Highest Score," with a Superior rating and special recognition for the low brass section.
The 7th grade band, attending the festival as an exhibition in preparation for their competition the next year, also earned a "Superior" rating.

Honesty and integrity were the character traits emphasized in Franklin County Schools during April and the following students were honored for best exemplifying those traits:

FRANKLINTON -- Authorities are looking for suspects who fired about 40 shots at a neighborhood home.
Fortunately, police said, no injuries were reported in the late May 19 incident.
According to Franklinton Police Capt. Justin Hastings, officers responded to a call of shots being fired at a home on Cheatham Street late on Sunday night.
There were four people in the home at the time the shots were fired, Hastings said.

FUN TIMES. Youngsville Mayor Fonzie Flowers, left, and Parks and Recreation Director Alysa McLaughlin are joined by State Sen. Lisa Barnes and State Rep. Matthew Winslow during a ribbon cutting for new playground equipment at Luddy Park -- next to the National Guard Armory on U.S. 1-A. Barnes and Winslow secured funding for the upgraded equipment, the color pattern for which was picked out by Youngsville Elementary School Students.