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Katie Warren holds up a prize after the Easter egg hunt in Bunn while her Mom, Kimberly Warren, holds six month old Luke.

YPD Administrative Specialist Tanya Cash provides fun for Grayson Poole and Elianna Musser while Lindsay Poole looks on.

YOUNGSVILLE -- When new officers complete the department's field training program, they are tasked with presenting a new program to bolster community service.
If town commissioners follow through on Officer Drew Cox's proposal, the department would have an eye in the sky.
Cox's project would provide the department with two unmanned aerial vehicles -- drones -- to aid in law enforcement efforts.

BUNN -- Bouncing back from a defeat is one of the most challenging aspects in the development of a young softball team -- and that was the dilemma the underclassman-dominated Bunn Ladycats faced last Monday afternoon.
One game earlier, Bunn had been topped by perennial powerhouse Southern Nash in a Big East Conference showdown, so it was imperative that the Ladycats got back on track quickly during their next matchup -- a home contest against the Rocky Mount Lady Gryphons.

FRANKLINTON -- As a new pre-game tradition, members of the Southern Nash High School softball team have taken to sharing slices from a jar of Mount Olive's finest for a final in-dugout burst of energy.
Inevitably, it doesn't take long before the Ladybirds' overmatched opponents find themselves in a pickle of their collective own.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Rocky Mount's girls squad is continuing its long-time dominance of the Big East Conference Track and Field scene, while the RM boys are seeking a return to past greatness.
Those were the two biggest takeaways from last Wednesday's Big East Tri-Meet between Bunn, Franklinton and the homestanding Gryphons at the RMHS Football Field.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Franklinton and Nash Central were the main showstoppers this winter in the Big East Conference girls basketball scene -- but there were plenty of other storylines in the always-tough league.
Franklinton did not lose against a Big East foe this winter en route to claiming the conference's regular season and tournament championships.

CARY -- North Carolina's brightest sports stars will compete in the fastest-growing sport in the country at the North Carolina Pickleball Pro-Am on April 6 from 2-3 p.m. at Cary Tennis Park.
Tickets for the Pro-Am are available at ppatour.com and TIXR.

WAKE FOREST -- Site may have been different, but the result was once again the same last Wednesday at the latest Big East Conference Boys Golf Match.
This was the first trip of the season for the Big East to the Brevofield Golf Links in Wake Forest, with nearby Franklinton serving as the host for the 18-hole match.
Defending champion Roanoke Rapids -- the heavy favorite to repeat in 2024 -- was once again the team winner as the Yellow Jackets cruised to the top spot with 333 total strokes.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats have announced that single-game tickets are now available for purchase for the upcoming 2024 season at Five County Stadium.
The team has also announced its full promotions schedule featuring 16 total fireworks shows, new nightly promotions, nine souvenir giveaways and more.

Franklinton High School's Kaylei Main tries to tag Southern Nash's Noel Dobbins at second base.

Franklin County Relay for Life volunteers Cornelius & Mildred Cheatham

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners made two and a half pronouncements on Monday.
They told a roomful of property owners that they would be crafting a revenue neutral budget, at least.
They told property owners to appeal out-of-whack tax assessments.
And, they asked their attorney if Franklin County can delay revaluation by a year, comparing neighboring properties within the county to see if properties have been fairly valued.

LOUISBURG -- The controversial idea of creating a "white flag" shelter to provide a warm, safe place during short-term drastic weather emergencies, especially cold, had both supporters and foes during a public hearing on the matter Monday night.
In the end, the Louisburg town council took no action on the issue, which has been pending for several weeks, and the consensus of those who spoke is that more research on the idea is needed.

LOUISGBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council took its first tentative steps toward creating a budget for fiscal year 2024-25 during a special Thursday evening meeting last week.
Such a meeting is a traditional opportunity for the mayor and council members to voice their "wish lists" for what they'd like to see in the new budget.

YOUNGSVILLE -- The Franklin County Economic Development Commission shifted its most recent meeting time and place -- in an effort to better engage its members.
They intend to use its next meeting under the new format to learn more about the county's water situation.

LOUISBURG -- Management and architects presented commissioners with plans for a new EMS station that could be complete and within budget by next June.
Franklin County secured the services of Oakley Collier to plan, design and oversee construction of a new EMS station that replaces the one at the county's airport.
They've also been hired to oversee the station to replace the outdated one in Bunn.
The station is proposed to be built along Airport Road at the northwestern tip of the county's Triangle North Franklin Business Park.

FRANKLINTON -- Commissioners approved a $3.6 million spending plan they say will cover the expenses of a growing town.
The 2024-25 budget comes at a cost: the 73 cents per $100 of valuation tax rate is 92 percent higher than the revenue neutral rate of 38 cents per $100 of valuation calculated after revaluation.
Before Tuesday night's decision, the tax rate was set at 75 cents per $100 of valuation and the town's total revenues were $2.9 million.

PILOT -- Franklin County's fire marshal continues to investigate a fire that destroyed a trailer and shed.
Firefighters from Pilot and Bunn, and the Ferrell Fire Department responded to 2355 Old U.S. 64 the afternoon of March 18 to find the structures on fire.
They were assisted by sheriff's deputies, county EMS and the forestry service to contain the blaze.

RALEIGH -- Wake County authorities arrested a Wake Forest woman accused of causing a head-on collision that killed two Franklin County women.
In December, authorities charged Jennifer Baker Pearce with two counts of death by motor vehicle for the Nov. 29 wreck on U.S. 401 that killed Pamela Hayes and Emily Hodges.

Even though it's looking a lot like spring, that's a bit misleading.
In reality, it's the beginning of budget season.
And as painful as that can be, it's a time when all of us ought to sit up and pay attention -- and probably get involved at some level.
Each year we start this "season" as the county, all municipalities and the school system struggle to come up with budgets for the next fiscal year which will begin on July 1.

Looking through this edition of The Franklin Times, you're probably keen on all the things that are going on.
Franklin County and its property owners are essentially at the tail end of a chaotic tax assessment/revaluation.
Louisburg leaders are preparing wish lists for how they'd like to allocate its citizens' tax dollars.
They're also trying to figure out how they can help the most vulnerable of its residents by creating a White Flag shelter.

SPRING HOPE -- Barnes Farming of Spring Hope, the subject of a North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) probe after the death of seasonal worker Jose Arturo Gonzalez Mendoza last September, has been issued three citations for safety violations and $187,509 in penalties but has issued a "notice of contest," according to DOL personnel.
Barnes Farming, or Farm Pak, which has addresses at 7840 and 7385 Old Bailey Highway, Spring Hope, is owned by John Barnes and his wife, State Sen. Lisa Barnes.