FRONT PAGE

LOUISBURG -- A majority of Franklin County commissioners threw a bucket of cold water on the prospects of a public pool.
Residents have engaged in a social media, letter writing and public campaign, calling for Franklin County officials to provide a public pool -- following through on what a public survey revealed that a majority of respondents desired.
During the "other business" portion of Monday night's board meeting, Commissioner Mark Speed suggested the county should seek federal funds to build a recreation center and olympic-sized pool.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to negotiate with a bidder that's proposed tearing down the old Louisburg Theater property for $1.3 million.
Franklin County bought the 109 W. Nash Street property in August 2022 for $202,112 -- with plans to destroy the building and make way for a new judicial complex.
The county has secured $15 million in state funding to put toward the estimated $31 million project.

Artists of all types put their talents and their creations on display last Saturday in Louisburg. In the above photo, Amie Mason paints the face of Brodan Bottoms, 9.

LOUISBURG -- At the urging of a dog park champion, county commissioners agreed to look into the spending for the facility at Pilot Lions Park.
Parks and recreation and county officials and staff hosted a ribbon cutting for the dog park back in March -- about 10 months after commissioners agreed to spend up to $130,000 to complete the project.
While dog park advocates, like Wendy Perry, were happy to have the park open and available, it did lack adequate benches and, most importantly, shade.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Motorists have been given a chance to weigh in on improvements to the U.S. 1 Corridor, including whether a toll road is built from I-540 into Franklin County.
In December 2023 and January 2024, Franklinton and Youngsville governing boards joined others along the route in support of studying the feasibility of making that segment of the highway a toll road.

Relay for Life volunteers David and Hope Benton