Archives

LOUISBURG -- Thousands lined one of the county's main thoroughfares as the Walk for Peace made its way through Franklin County on Monday.
The Buddhist monks are on a 2,300 mile walk to the Nation's Capital, hoping to inspire reflection and positive change along their journey.
They certainly left those vibes with folks who gathered along U.S. 401/Bickett Boulevard in Franklin County to see the procession make its way north through Franklin County.

LOUISBURG -- Three suspects arrested during a State ALE investigation at Bunn Tavern are slated to appear in court the next two months.
The case against the proprietor has been dismissed, and the case against another employee was disposed of as part of a guilty plea.
Bunn police, acting on a community tip, brought in State Alcohol Law Enforcement agents, as well as deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office to conduct an undercover investigation at the bar.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County and the region avoided significant damage from Winter Storm Fern.
But, the rush of freezing rain, sleet and snow on Saturday night and early Sunday morning shut down some town and county governments, and schools for a a day or two.
And, there were few more than a dozen power outages reported.

Dr. Nakia Hardy takes the oath of office, officially becoming superintendent of Franklin County Schools. Holding the Bible is her mother, Mildred Hardy, while Board of Education attorney Boyd Sturges administers the oath. Dr. Hardy succeeds Dr. Rhonda Schuhler who retired at the end of 2025 following eight years at the helm of the county's largest employer

Mark Speed & Nicholas Thorpe

That was one ugly storm!
Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Raleigh TV prognosticators breathlessly forecast for days -- but it was more than enough for me.
Out our way in Greater Metropolitan Mapleville, we got maybe quarter of an inch of ice on trees and shrubs and about that much plus a light dusting of snow on the ground.
It's what is normally called a "wintery mix" of precipitation -- and it was enough to shut down much of Franklin County on Saturday evening and through Sunday.

To say that January 2026 has pretty much slid past us like Bobby Drake dashing down an ice slide is an understatement.
While there have been days where endless ice storm forecasts may have made it seem like January was taking forever, in reality, we say goodbye to the first month of 2026 on Saturday.
Then, February starts and, in a few weeks, early voting for the spring primary starts.
That's right, because nothing says turning on the heat like the potential for primary battles during a mid-term election ... especially in today's political climate.

Dear editor: I am writing to applaud you, our Editor, for your recent work of historical fiction appearing in the "My Turn" column of the January 15, 2026 edition of The Franklin Times. You titled your opinion piece, "Those who go looking for trouble, often create it!"
As a retired law enforcement officer with 25 years of local and federal experience, I respectfully take issue with your simplistic view of law enforcement officers in general and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in particular.

Dear editor: After J.D. Vance announced last week that ICE agents have "absolute immunity," it was almost inevitable that more killings would follow.
ICE thugs murdered 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, in the street after he tried to help a woman whom agents had shoved to the ground.
Trump officials, who lie like the rest of us breathe, immediately tried to justify the execution, just as they did after Renee Good was murdered, but their lies are contradicted by video and sworn affidavit testimony.

EBULON, NC -- Bobby Glenn Perry, 87, of Zebulon, passed away on Saturday, January 24th, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

CASTALIA, NC -- Bobby Leonard Murphy, 87, of Castalia, passed away Wednesday morning at Brekenridge Retirement Center in Rocky Mount.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Carrie Bell Kearney Brodie, 95, of Franklinton, was born July 27, 1931, in Franklinton, North Carolina, to the late Vincent Levi Kearney and Ruth Parrish Kearney. She died January 14, 2026, at her home.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Charles Douglas Gill, age 77, who died on Friday, January 23, 2026, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Stanley Dunston, eulogist and Rev. M. Rose Gill, officiating. Burial will follow in the Allen Chapel Church Cemetery.

BUNN, NC -- Judy Chamblee Medlin, 83, of Bunn, passed away Friday evening, January 23, 2026 at Transitions Life Care.

SPRING HOPE, NC -- Lisa Jo Harris Byrd, 62, of Spring Hope passed amongst family and friends on January 22, 2026.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Napoleon "Nay" Livingston, age 82, who died on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, will be held at 12 p.m. Thursday, January 29, from the Perry's Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Randolph Alston officiating.

Franklinton, NC -- Funeral services for Towanda R. Bobbitt, age 62, who died on Thursday, January 8, 2026, will be held on Saturday, January 31, at 11 a.m. from the Mitchner's Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg, NC.

The weather outside may feel a great deal like the dead of winter but that isn't stopping local Girl Scouts from their annual cookie sales drive. Whether you prefer the slogan "It's cookie season!" or perhaps "It's cookie time," young scouts are out there with sweet treats to sell. Shown here at one of the recent sales booths are Josephine Stover (left) and Sonia Gray. They are both members of Girl Scout Troop 508 of Louisburg. Both young ladies are Cadets with the Scouts.

UP CLOSE. Above, Aubrey Fuller, right, holds a flower she got from the passing monks. Fuller was there with her mother, Dalnajia Thomas, and sister, Kay Fuller.

Monks walked quietly through Louisburg on their journey for peace

Louisburg resident Sue Guerrant greets the walkers with a sign wishing them "Namaste," a Sanskrit word that is a respectful way of greeting and honoring someone in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism

Crowds greeted the walkers as they made a turn onto Wade Avenue en route to the Louisburg fire station for a brief rest before continuing their journey northward