Recent Articles

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Here are this spring's softball schedules for Franklin County's trio of high school squads, with home games listed in CAPS:

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Listed are the Big East Conference and Louisburg High School baseball schedules for the 2024 campaign, with home games listed in CAPS:

BUNN -- Bunn's planning and governing board plan to meet back to back to potentially solidify the location of an emergency radio tower -- an issue that's split Franklin County and the town since November.
In November, Bunn commissioners listened to concerned residents and refused to take any action, meaning that the county's petition to build a tower behind the Bunn Fire Station on Main Street was dead in the water.

Moss Foods employee Mesheila Evans

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to move forward with filling an animal control position that would help facilitate the reinstatement of a volunteer program at the shelter.
The decision was made after hearing continued pleas from animal advocates to allow volunteers back in the shelter.

YOUNGSVILLE, NC--Bobby Glen Tharrington Sr., 77, of Youngsville, died March 3, 2024 surrounded by his loving family.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Nancy Lynn Rapp, 55, was called home by God on February 27, 2024, after a three-year battle with cancer.

LOUISBURG, NC--Alma Ray Spencer Hudson, 83, of Louisburg died Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

LOUISBURG, NC--Bonnie Jean Ferguson Wood, 88, of Louisburg, died Sunday morning, March 3, 2024. Bonnie was born July 2, 1935 in Franklin County and was the daughter of the late J.H. (Jack) Ferguson and Florence Woodlief Ferguson.

Enfield, NC--Funeral services for Mildred "Nib" Harrison Silver, age 79 who died on Friday, March 1, 2024 will be held on Thursday, March 7, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Pine Chapel Memorial Garden Cemetery.

KITTRELL, NC--Gladys Elizabeth Brooks Joyner, 88 of Kittrell, died Saturday, February 24, 2024.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Terry Lennette Winston, age 52, who died on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, will be held at 2 .m. Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from the Mitchner's Grove Baptist Church in Franklinton with Pastor Melvin Jackson, Eulogist and Rev. Timothy Green officiating. Burial will follow in the Mitchner's Grove Church Cemetery.

CASTALIA, NC -- Funeral services for Thomas "Tom" Strickland, Jr., age 60, who died Thursday, February 22, 2024, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 9, 2024 from the Red Budd Holy Church in Rocky Mount with Bishop Warren C. Lynch officiating. Burial will follow in the William Morris Cemetery.

BLOOMFIELD, CT, (Formerly of Louisburg, NC) -- Graveside services for Shirley T. Young Paddyfote, age 87, who died on Nov. 10, 2023, will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 8, 2024 from the New Liberty Church Cemetery in Louisburg with Bishop Faison officiating.

ORLANDO, FL, (formerly of Louisburg, NC) -- Funeral services for Thomas Napoleon Alston, age 70, who passed away Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, will be held on at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, 2024 from the Kinches Chapel Christian Church in Franklinton with Rev. Willie R. Nixon III, eulogist. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

BUNN -- Town planners are drafting policy that would allow Franklin County to build an emergency services radio tower at Bunn High School.
It would require planning board review and commissioner action, with public hearings at each step of the process.
Franklin County staff would only say that they are working with Bunn to resolve an appropriate location for the public safety radio tower.

LOUISBURG -- Investigators with the State Fire Marshal's office are investigating a blaze that totally destroyed a Louisburg business.
Initially, though, the cause of the fire that destroyed Clifton Auto Sales on Bickett Boulevard remains undetermined.
"It's undetermined, right now, because of the damage," said Randy Lanham, Louisburg's fire chief as well a fire investigator with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

LOUISBURG -- Following another prolonged discussion of a temporary "white flag" shelter, the Louisburg Town Council tabled the whole matter pending further study.
A white flag shelter is a temporary shelter that would be available only during a period of very cold weather -- and open for only a very few hours at a time.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County investigators linked an addictive drug to a teen's death last week.
Franklin County authorities responded to a home in the 1700 block of Old Halifax Road the afternoon of Feb. 17 to find 18-year-old Jacob Cope dead.
In an incendiary social media post on Tuesday, Sheriff Kevin White attributed the death to Fentanyl.
"I am angry," White said. "Mad as hell actually.

CASTALIA -- "Firefighters are a brotherhood. We look out for one of our own." Leland Joyner, chief of the Castalia Fire Department, described the sentiment but not the scope of the outpouring of fire trucks and more than 80 firefighters Saturday for a tribute parade to Castalia Fire Captain David "Pac-Man" Braswell.
Capt. Braswell, an active member of the Castalia Fire Department for 38 years, is out on extended medical leave.
Along with Joyner, Braswell watched the massive demonstration of support from his front porch along NC 58 in Castalia.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Funeral services for a longtime firefighter and community stalwart are set for today, Feb. 29.
Youngsville Fire Department Safety Officer Louis Dunston died Feb. 20, in what is characterized as a line of duty death. He was 78.
On Feb. 19, the U.S. Fire Administration said, Dunston was participating in departmental training.
The next day, Dunston experienced an apparent cardiac arrest, authorities said, and could not be revived.

Sinorris Branch at the Louisburg Senior Center

SPRING HOPE -- Two men in their forties, one from Spring Hope and one from Bailey, are being held in the Nash County Detention Facility on $100,000 secured bonds after their arrests for alleged sex crimes against a 20-year-old woman described as "mentally incapacitated."
A third man, 39-year-old Aaron Danay Lucas of NC 581, Spring Hope, has reportedly turned himself in after a felony arrest warrant was issued for him but no other information about charges was available at press time.

If you're reading this column while it's hot off the press, you're reading a Leap Year edition on the 29th day of February.
It's one of those calendar-making quirks which makes the every-four-year adjustment that is just plain weird, but which makes the numbers work.
But, in any case, we've all pretty much survived February, one of the truly dreary months of the year and, if we can get through the first couple of weeks of March, maybe springtime will brighten things up.