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STANHOPE -- Fortunes changed quickly in the parity-filled Big East Conference girls soccer standings this spring -- a trend that continued into the Class 3-A State Playoffs.
Southern Nash, the defending Big East champion, found itself in contention for league supremacy heading into the final few weeks before losses to Northern Nash and Roanoke Rapids sent the Ladybirds backward in the standings.

FRANKLINTON -- Ask any long-time track and field observer about the greatest girls distance runner in Franklin County history, and the discussion usually begins and ends with one name -- Tria Metzler.
The funny thing is that, since Metzler's star-studded career ended in 2006, nobody has even dared to compare another runner to her -- and for good reason.

BUNN -- Before this season, the elite-level Boys Discus 150-Foot Club at Bunn High School was an exclusive fraternity of two -- State Champion Dexter Epps in 2005 and Jackson Leggett in 2017.
But another member has joined the list this spring as BHS junior Cannon Parrish is taking out the area's top competition in the event -- and looking for a strong finish at this Friday's Class 2-A State Track and Field Championships at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro.

Blackberries are just one of many fruits that can be easily produced in the home garden or landscape.
One blackberry plant can easily supply 10-15 pounds of fruit over a 3-4 weeks period. Studies have shown that blackberries can help fight cancer, decrease cardiovascular disease and slow down brain aging.
There are three types of blackberry varieties: erect, semi-trailing and trailing. There are also thorny and thornless blackberry plants.

PRELIMINARY PLANS for the controversial Depot Hill project were unveiled Tuesday by Louisburg officials and show the former warehouse converted into a multi-purpose facility including a public meeting space, town council chambers and the municipal offices for town government. The plans, not yet finalized, were released for review and local residents can comment by accessing the town's website and clicking on a hot button referring to Depot Hill. The town council is to get its first official look at the plans during its regular council meeting on May 20.

BUNN -- The Bunn Board of Commissioners has begun exploring a 2024-25 spending plan that would raise taxes above the revenue neutral rate.
However, officials said they are awaiting any last-minute adjustments from the county before they commit to any budget.
During a May 6 budget session, Dottie Taylor, who was elevated from town clerk to town administrator during the meeting, presented officials with an $853,892 balanced budget.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town leaders agreed to pursue a signage and enforcement plan that would send long-haul tractor trailer traffic around the town.
The more than $100,000 option is expected to require an interlocal agreement with Wake County, Wake Forest and Franklin County.
Going back to 2019, officials have tasked management with looking for ways to reroute thru-truck traffic around heavily congested Main Street.
In January, State Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer Brian Mayhew met with Mayor Fonzie Flowers, Mayor Pro Tem Scott Brame and staff to get a ground-level look at the truck traffic on Main Street -- essentially where it clogs from the Five Points intersection to S. Cross Street.

Helen McCracken at Women in Ag Farm Tour

In my line of work, quite honestly, dealing with attorneys can be quite the adventure.
It can be a defense attorney whose interests clearly rest with their client -- which means they are often "careful" with the truth.
Or, it's a town or county attorney, who, again, has interests that rest with their employer -- which can often be at odds with a free press.
Or, it can be a prosecutor, who has an interest in justice and "sharing" significant details can railroad a case.

LOUISBURG, NC--JoAnn Taylor Griffin, 90, died May 12, 2024 at at Louisburg Nursing Center in Louisburg, NC.

LOUISBURG, NC--Dorothy Marie Debnam Hayes, 66, of Louisburg died Thursday, May 9, 2024.

LOUISBURG, NC--Robert Allen Watkins, 79, of Louisburg, died Monday, May, 13, 2024. He was born to the late Maylon Elmo and Helen Parrish Watkins in Franklin County on August 3, 1944.

Louisburg, NC--Michael Keith Smith, Sr., 77, of Louisburg passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 11, 2024.

BUNN, NC--Stephen Craig Mullen went to his heavenly home on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Born in Franklin County, North Carolina on December 19, 1950, he was preceded in death by his father Melvin C. Mullen and his mother Doris Pearce Mullen Raper.

CASTALIA, NC--Rachel Pendergrass Faulkner, 81, of Castalia, passed away Wednesday afternoon, May 8, 2024 at her home surrounded by her loving family.

LOUISBURG -- Nobody in attendance seemed to know when the last time Bunn High School won a team match in the Class 2-A Boys Tennis State Playoffs.
And considering the fact that retired long-time skipper Allen White was there, it's a safe bet to say it's been awhile.
Not anymore, though, as the Wildcats broke the skein in grand fashion Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over Princeton in the opening round of the postseason.
The event was held at the Louisburg High School Courts due to poor conditions on the BHS campus.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County leaders said it will require a tax increase to fully fund the school system's budget request, which is $5.2 million more in operating funding than they got last year.
The bottom line, County Commission Chair Harry Foy and School Board member Tommy Piper said, is how will the county get down to an expense they can approve in the budget.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners tasked staff with creating a stakeholders group that could tackle water allocation issues.
For at least the past two meetings, Raleigh-based developer and Franklin County Home Builders Association member Dan Tingen has criticized the county's water allocation process, calling it ambiguous and detrimental to development.

CASTALIA -- When you go out to Hardly Farm, you won't find anyone who's not hard at work.
But, the second-, third- and fourth-generation folks running the former tobacco farm in the northeastern corner of Franklin County take plenty of pleasure in their work.
"... We're having fun," said Kim Gupton Stewart, who took over the 37.5-acre, northeastern Franklin County farm when her Dad, Bennie Ray Gupton, passed away in 2019.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to give home builders and others more time to respond to a hike in fees paid by new development.
In 2017, the General Assembly enacted a bill that requires governments and municipalities that collect fees that cover the impacts of new growth and development to prepare a written analysis to justify the amount charged.
In 2018, after developers balked at higher fees, the county set a fee of $1,350 for water and $1,950 for sewer for new developments.

LOUISBURG -- County commissioners agreed to spend up to $130,000 to build a dog park in Pilot.
During the board's April 15 meeting, Assistant County Manager Will Doerfer presented a preliminary proposal to build a dog park at the Pilot Lions Park, with a rough estimate of between $89,000 and $100,000.
At that meeting, Commissioner Danny Pearce successfully made a motion to move forward with plans to construct that park, starting no later than September.

Youngsville Town Manager Nathan Page

LOUISBURG -- One man died and another was taken to the hospital in serious condition following a head-on collision last week.
According to a report by Trooper T.A. Clayton, Junior Jose Berrios Luna was traveling north along U.S. 401 when the sport utility vehicle he was driving crossed the center line at about 8:45 p.m. on May 2.
He collided with a southbound Honda Accord driven by Kelvin Alston, 40, of Wendell.

Lights. Camera. Plenty of action.
Franklin County tested out its first attempt at livestreaming a meeting Tuesday night when they met "jointly" with the Franklin County Board of Education.
I'll let my story speak to the content of the meeting.
And, I suspect I'll let my boss, who is much better at these column things, expound on the nature of the meeting and what it accomplished in next week's edition
I just wanted to speak about the execution.