Recent Articles

Dear editor: Why in the world would a significant percentage of voters in this country vote for an arrogant, obnoxious, rude, big city Yankee?
That is exactly the question that the Washington elites, both elected and unelected bureaucrats, are asking.
Why in the world would there be the interest in a third-party candidate like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.? These folks cannot figure that out either.

FRANKLINTON -- The town and its tree committee will celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday by recognizing the town's brush with greatness.
The Franklinton Tree Committee is slated to celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday by planting a weeping willow near the Evergreen Cemetery in memory of former boxing heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

BUNN -- It's all in their hands. And that's all you can ask for at this point.
That's the current situation for the young Bunn High School baseball squad, which has arrived near the top of the Big East Conference standings ahead of schedule with a sophomore-dominated varsity roster.

ROCKY MOUNT -- In the end, both Franklinton and Nash Central got what they wanted out of their recent Big East Conference baseball series.
Sort of.
Certainly, each club would have preferred a sweep, but a hard-fought series that featured exceptional pitching and opportunistic hitting ended the way it usually does between two evenly matched teams -- with a split.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Same top two, but with a twist -- that was the theme of last Wednesday's latest Big East Conference 18-hole golf match.
Roanoke Rapids' Wyatt Beaver and Brayden Mills have gone one-two in league events this season to date, but Beaver, the defending Big East Individual Champion from 2023, has usually taken the medalist honors, with Mills finishing as the runner-up.

ZEBULON - The Carolina Mudcats (13-3) found themselves needing another comeback on Tuesday night at Five County Stadium and once again, their offense delivered late.
Trailing 2-0, the Mudcats scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to stun the Salem Red Sox (6-10) 4-2 in this week's series opener.
Carolina improved to 4-0 on the season against the Red Sox.

LOUISBURG -- Two faces very familiar to the Franklin County sports scene are helping the fledgling Crosscreek Charter School softball program build into a powerhouse in the always-competitive Middle Athletic Conference.
Taking on some of the top middle schools in the area, the Lady Hawks have flown to a strong 6-1 record to date, with their lone loss coming earlier this week to a tradition-rich Hawley Middle School club out of Creedmoor.

RALEIGH -- NC State baseball will be hosting its third-annual "Dogs at the Doak" promotion this year on April 30 at 5 p.m.
Fans who are interested in bringing their dog must purchase a $30 Dogs at the Doak package that includes two human tickets, one doggo ticket and a special Pup Pack.
Due to limited capacity, only 30 packages are available for this game and all tickets in the package will be seated on the grass hill.

LOUISBURG -- Search warrants reveal there was a cache of weapons inside a Franklinton home both times law enforcement responded to the residence -- the second time to make an arrest in a double homicide.
Christian David Webster was charged with discharging a weapon inside the city and two counts of first degree murder in the separate incidents and is slated to appear in court on July 3 and October 23, respectively.

Nick Portanova, The Greatest

LOUISBURG, NC -- Patsy Williams Murphy, 74, of Louisburg passed away unexpectedly on Monday, April 8, 2024 at her home. She was born in Spartanburg, SC, to the late Hubert and Geneva Carter Williams.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Charles Taylor Phelps, 47, of Louisburg, went to his heavenly home on Monday, April 15, 2024 at his home.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Carl Leonard "Len" West, 66, passed away on April 22, 2024 at his home in Franklinton, NC. Len was born on May 8, 1957, in NC to the late Alton Tucker and Rebecca Owen West. In addition to his parents, Len was predeceased by a brother, Keith West.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Memorial services for Regina Fowler Webb, age 70, who died Friday, April 12, 2024, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Brother Dwight Williams officiated.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Charlie Harbert Tharrington, III, 55, of Louisburg, died Thursday morning, April 18, 2024.

LAKE WYLIE, SC--Ollie F. Woodlief, age 79, of Lake Wylie, SC (formerly of Franklinton, NC) died March 19, 2024.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Jesse Ray "Buddy" Burton, 52, of Franklinton, died Saturday afternoon, April 20, 2024, at Louisburg Nursing Center.

Willis Ned Gupton, age 67, went to be with his Lord and Savior peacefully, after his battle with cancer, at home surrounded by his family, on April 16, 2024. Born to Wilbur and Mary Helen Gupton on October 24, 1956 in Franklin County, Louisburg, North Carolina.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Charles Edward Ray, surrounded by his loving family. He is the son of the late Charles Waddell Ray and Liza Tant Ray.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Stephanie Goslen (née Pediaditakis), 65, of Louisburg, NC, passed away on April 15, 2024, at Duke Hospital, surrounded by love from her family. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, teacher, and political activist.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Memorial services for Regina Fowler Webb, age 70, who died Friday, April 12, 2024, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2024, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Brother Dwight Williams officiating.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to move forward with judicial complex plans that will close a Louisburg street and take down an arguably historic structure.
A 2019 facilities review and space assessment study revealed a need for more and better judicial space.
As a result, Oakley Collier Architects presented commissioners with options to add 14,000 square feet of renovations to the current Hamilton Hobgood Courthouse Annex, and build a 55,000-square-foot, three-story building immediately behind it.

LOUISBURG -- While Franklin County officials were trying to put the finishing touches on a planned $13 million-plus grandiose courtroom building in downtown Louisburg Monday night, the town council was meeting a short distance away and was reining in those plans.
The town's main issue -- other than a perceived lack of communication from county officials -- is a proposal to close the portion of Johnson Street west of Main Street and use that space for parking.

LOUISBURG -- The appraisal company responsible for Franklin County's revaluation has pledged to examine every parcel they valued.
The decision essentially came under a subtle threat from county officials.
On Monday, Richmond, Va.-based Pearson's Appraisal Service Inc. owner Fred Pearson advised commissioners that he and his staff had heard 700 appeals and had another 1,500 written appeals to address regarding assessed property value notices that went out in March.