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And suddenly it's April, although feeling chilly enough that it could still be March.
But the trees and some flowering plants aren't fooled -- and the pollen epidemic has begun in spades.
If the only effects you've been noticing are the yellow tinge on your cars or sidewalks, consider yourself lucky! Lot of folks are dealing with the sniffles, burning eyes and sneezing fits -- and it's only just begun because the rest of this month and May will likely see a steady increase in pollen.

In the last editions, I've taken the liberty of using this column as an opportunity to give you teases and reviews of news that was just too big to fit into the paper.
Well, a little bit of that is true again, this week.
But, rather than making you wait an entire week with bated breath, I figure I'll give you a rundown, sort of a synopsis, like those old TV Guides.
For anyone under 50, you're going to have to Google that reference.

Dear editor: This modern-day Republican Party is alienating so many of its voters who long valued conservative views while lifting the extreme and hate-filled people into power.
I worry about our future in North Carolina as a woman, a mother, a business owner, and a decent human being.

Dear editor: I started reading a book titled "White Rural Rage, the threat to American Democracy."
I must admit, the book is extremely hard to follow and to actually understand where the two authors obtained all this information. I do not think there is rage in rural America, and it certainly is not just white people.

Above, kids get ready to hunt some eggs at the Bunn CERT Lions event on Saturday.

Above, Tristan Carwell dashed through the field, hunting eggs like a superhero.

Sheila Strickland signs folks up for free vision screenings.

Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. show. Franklinton Area Community Theatre will present the show Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr. The show is based on the Emmy award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series. Performances will be held: Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m.; Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 13 at 3 p.m.; and Sunday, April 14, 3 p.m. Performances will be held at the Franklinton High School auditorium, 910 Cedar Creek Road, Franklinton. Tickets are available online at factnc.org or at the door. The Franklinton Area Community Theatre is a non-profit theatre for kids ranging from 5 to 18 years old.

The Neave Trio will perform at Cherry Hill on Sunday, April 7 with a concert beginning at 3 p.m. Admission will be taken at the door.
The trio, consisting of violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura, is making its second appearance at the Warren County historical site.
Since forming in 2010, Neave has earned praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances.

The American Legion Post 52 in Franklinton has announced that Victoria Sema was the winner of the Post 52 Oratorical Contest and the District 5 contest.
Sema is a junior at Franklin County Early College High School.
Her primary oration focused on the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
Sema went on to win the District 5 contest on Jan. 20, held in Roxboro.

The group presents the Oratorical Contest winner, from left, Commander Chris Smith, 1st Vice Commander Mike Donnelly, Chaplain Harvey Satterwhite, Orator Victoria Sema, Historian George Tracey, and Legionnaire George Miller.

SILVER ANNIVERSARY. The Kid's Corner Child Care Center in Louisburg celebrated its 25th anniversary in business on March 8, with a luncheon, employee awards and lots of fun and fellowship. Above, left to right: Teresa Ayscue, Karen Overton, Tara Jones, Michaela Phelps, Amy Merritt (owner), Debbie Fowler, Tina Holden, and Brianna Inscoe.

EARNS HIS DEGREE. Dalton Southerland of Louisburg recently graduated from NC State University Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree, with a concentration on renewable electric energy systems. Recognized as an outstanding senior with a cumulative 4.0 GPA over his undergraduate career, he has been accepted into the NCSU graduate school to begin working toward a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree, beginning August, 2024.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- In a game of feet and inches, Louisburg native Elijah Jamison was one step away from dancing on college basketball's grandest stage.
But it wasn't meant to be as Jamison and the University of Milwaukee Panthers were defeated 83-76 by top-seeded Oakland University in the finale of the Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament on March 12 at the historic Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- There seems to be no end in sight to Southern Nash's dominance of the Big East Conference softball scene -- but second place in the league could be competitive as the season heads toward its second half after the completion of Spring Break.
Southern, coached by the legendary Scott Collie, has streamrolled through the first half of its Big East schedule, outscoring six overmatched foes by a combined 84-2 -- an absolutely staggering number.

STANHOPE -- Melanie Hicks grew up in an athletic family in Pilot, so it was understandable when she decided to become a high school teacher and coach for her career choice.
But it's the where -- and not the why -- that was a bit of surprise.
Pilot is located between Bunn and Zebulon, and Hicks was a standout softball and volleyball star at Bunn High School before graduating in 2011.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- It's anybody's guess which team will come out on top as the Big East Conference enters the second half of what has been one of its most competitive baseball seasons in recent history.
Three teams -- including defending champion Northern Nash -- enter the second half with identical 4-2 worksheets. Bunn, a young club coming into its own, is also at the mark, as is Southern Nash.

ZEBULON -- The Milwaukee Brewers have announced the initial roster for the Carolina Mudcats in advance of the 2024 season starting on Friday when the Mudcats travel to Salem, Virginia to play the Red Sox.
The new roster features several returnees from the 2023 team including Brewers prospects Juan Baez, Daniel Guilarte, Yorman Galindez and Tayden Hall.

Cancer survivor Ruby Williams, during Franklin County Relay for Life dinner

Henderson, NC--Maynard Dennis Wilson, 65, of Henderson died March 30, 2024.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for Lucy Mae Eaton, age 89, who died on Monday, April 1, 2024, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 7, 2024 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Marcus Dunston Johnson, eulogist and Rev. Micah Mason, officiating. Burial will follow in the Nelson Chapel Church Cemetery.

CREEDMOOR, NC -- Chemis Oscar Stanfield, 91, of Creedmoor passed away Monday, April 1, 2024, at Transitions Life Care in Raleigh.

OXFORD, NC -- William "Daryl" Bowden, age 54, of Oxford, died March 27, 2024 at WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh, NC.