Dennis Braxton Barbour, age 77, succumbed to complications from Agent Orange exposure on August 16, 2026. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and proud United States Marine whose life was centered around hard work, family, and the people he loved.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for Shamee E. Dozer, 33, who died on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, will be held on Sunday, August 16, at 2 p.m. from the Allen Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Franklinton, with the Rev. Marcus Dunston-Johnson presiding.

Jennifer D. Innis

Franklin County Schools has announced the appointments of Jennifer D. Innis, as director of Leadership Development and Employee Relations and Lorena Dauphinee as assistant principal of Bunn Middle School.
The Franklin County Board of Education approved both leadership appointments and both were effective Aug. 4.
Dauphinee brings a strong background in elementary education, instructional leadership, and student support to her new role.

LOUISBURG -- Faced with growing development pressures, the Louisburg Town Council revised its utility connection fees to more accurately reflect the actual cost of providing new services during a busy business meeting Monday night.
During that meeting, the town also created a more formal Economic Development Commission, hired a consultant to look at better pedestrian connections to Joyner Park and hired an engineering firm to redesign Bunn Road between South Main Street and Bickett Boulevard.

Police, sheriff's deputies, the first responder community and folks around Franklin County observed National Night Out last week, an opportunity for those in the community to meet and get to know those on the front lines. Above, Kherington Bryant applies her face-painting skills to Blakely Sharp during National Night Out events at Bunn Town Hall, Bunn's park and basketball and pickleball courts on Aug. 4

LOUISBURG -- A proposal designed to streamline what is being called the local "Bioeconomy Pipeline" to create jobs for Franklin County young people received the unanimous endorsement of the Franklin County Board of Education Monday night. The focus on the "pipeline" originated from Louisburg Mayor Christopher Neal and David Pyoas, the town's economic developer, who explained the concept to the school board.
Accompanied by Mayor Neal, Pyoas told the board that one of the goals is to help local young people tap into the estimated 42,000 jobs in the life sciences area that are within 35 miles of Louisburg.

LOUISBURG -- Prosecutors allege greed led a Youngsville man to kill his roommate.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested Michael David Barnes in November 2021, about two weeks after investigators allege he shot and killed James McCleod.
Authorities arrived at 137 Elsie Marie Drive the morning of Oct. 28 to find the 40-year-old McLeod at the bottom of the front porch steps, near death.
He died a day later from his injuries, including a gunshot wound to the back of the head, prosecutors said.

HANDS-ON. Sara Sherwood and Daisy Acres co-owner Joe Bucci share an experience with a donkey during a tour stop at the Pilot-area farm.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- It was about five years ago that Cooperative Extension Agent Martha Mobley estimated that Franklin County was home to more than 6,000 horses, valued at $37 million.
And, across the state, horse industry experts noted, the equine industry added about $2 billion in economic value to the state.
Those numbers have grown, said North Carolina Horse Council Executive Director Sue Gray, one of the keynote speakers for the 30th annual Franklin County Horse Farm Tour held last week.

Sue Ellen Johnson, right, a farming, food and ecosystems advisor, shares information about forage sticks during Stop No. 2 of the Horse Farm Tour. Farmers and livestock managers can use the ruler-like tool to measure plant height and estimate the amount of available forage in a pasture, so they know when to move cattle or sheep to a new area.

Owen Moore at National Night Out

LOUISBURG -- A public advisory board believes it has taken the steps necessary to avoid the county's ax.
Earlier this year, county commissioners were set to shutter or revamp a handful of advisory boards -- including the Historic Preservation Commission -- arguing that either they hadn't been meeting or providing a public service.
The Historic Preservation Advisory Board had not met in more than two years.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County has filled out its economic development ranks, hiring someone who will handle dual roles of bolstering existing industries and managing tourism development.
Angela P. Allen started on Aug. 3 as Franklin County's new existing industry and tourism development manager, within the county's economic development office.
"I'm excited to work alongside our businesses, community partners, and local leaders to share Franklin County's story in ways that attract visitors, support economic growth, and create opportunities for generations to come," Allen said in a press release issued by the county.

Here it is almost the middle of August -- and summertime temperatures with loads of humidity -- are upon us yet the folks at The Farmers' Almanac are looking ahead to winter.
And, if they are correct, you'd better dig out the rain gear because they are saying that we Tar Heels are likely to be wetter than normal -- and at risk of frequent storms.
Even worse, storms in winter often bring sleet, freezing rain or heavy wet snow and all of those are quite possible, the weather prognosticators say.

I came across an a story on WRAL earlier this week that certainly captured my attention.
It seems that Wake County government wants to build affordable housing for teachers and school employees next to five Wake County schools.
Of course, my first inclination is this: If you really want to help teachers, certainly, provide affordable housing. Just don't put it next to a school.
They'll never get a moments rest.
But, honestly, the concept is a worthy exploration.

U.S. higher education faces significant challenges. Concerns about political bias, rising costs, and return on investment have increased public skepticism. This decline in trust spans political and educational backgrounds, prompting college leaders to seek solutions. The central question remains:
Does the cost of a degree still reflect its value?
At Louisburg College, we believe the answer is a resounding yes.

Dear editor: This November, North Carolinians will be called upon to fulfill an important civic duty; voting. In addition to electing candidates for public office, we will be asked to vote on three proposed amendments to our state Constitution. These votes deserve careful consideration because if approved, they will become part of the North Carolina Constitution, where it will be significantly more difficult to change in the future than ordinary state law.
Two of these amendments are very concerning; the property tax amendment and the state income tax amendment.

Dear editor: I would like to tilt my hat to Mayor Christopher Neal for writing a article two weeks ago pertaining to equal treatments.
Thank you for speaking out and yes the people you serve deserve to hear the truth.
I to agree that Louisburg gets looked over. There is nothing being poured into this city to promote growth.

LAKE ROYALE -- A young child has been placed with family, the aftermath of an apparent murder-suicide that took away his parents.
Lake Royale police responded to 107 Sunlight Cove the morning of Aug. 7, finding Kevin and Kimberly Killworth outside the home, dead from gunshot wounds.
A child under the age of 10 was found inside the home, physically unharmed.
According to reports, Lake Royale police and agents with the State Bureau of Investigation said the matter is consistent with a murder-suicide, apparently perpetrated by Kevin Killworth.

Youngsville, NC -- Wayne Lamont Godwin, 70, of Youngsville, NC passed away Friday morning, August 7, 2026. He was born on June 10, 1956 in Ocean County, NJ, to the late David and Georgia Godwin.

LOUISBURG, NC -- James "Jimmy" Kelly Finn, 79, of Louisburg, passed away on August 9, 2026 at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC. James was born in Pulaski, Virginia on April 2, 1947 to the late John William and Hattie Sarah Jane Hoback Finn.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Robert Bernard Person was born November 26, 1958, to the late Robert Lee Person and Roger Lee Person Clemon in Vance County, NC. He died August 1, 2026, at home.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Avis Lorraine Lester Cottrell, 78, of Louisburg, died August 4, 2026.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Geraldine Woodard, age 66, who died on Sunday, August 2, 2026, were held Saturday, August 8, at 2 p.m. from the Haywood Baptist Church in Louisburg. Burial followed in the Haywood Baptist Church Cemetery.

Powell, TN -- Timothy Robert Harris, age 89 of Powell, TN, formerly of Louisburg, NC, departed life on earth on July 31, 2026. Born, December 30, 1936, in Franklin County, grew up in the Justice Community and graduated from Edward Best High School. Tim joined the United States Navy where he spent 4 years and received an honorable discharge while stationed in Norfolk, VA. A lifetime was spent in general construction and home building.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College has gone to an experienced hand for its next men's basketball coach.
Assistant Athletic Director Jason Rasnake announced that assistant coach Ray Hartsfield has been elevated to head coach, effective this week.
Hartsfield has been with the Hurricanes since the spring of 2023. And, he's been in coaching and administration for more than 30 years -- most significantly with East Chapel Hill High -- building successful programs and developing student-athletes, the college said.

Ray Hartsfield, Louisburg College's newly named basketball mentor, encourages and instructs players at a practice session. Before joining the Louisburg College staff, Hartsfield spent 31 years coaching high school basketball -- serving 27 years as the head boys' basketball coach at East Chapel Hill High School, where he was the only head coach in the program's history from the school's opening in 1996 until his retirement in 2023.