By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Local, state and educational leaders met this week, hoping they can save a program designed to save at-risk students.
The North Carolina New Schools Project works for innovation in secondary schools across the state with a goal of readying every high school graduate for college and society.
A key effort is the Learn and Earn Early College High Schools: a program designed to have students graduate with a high school diploma and two years of transferable college credits or an associate’s degree.
The program in Franklin County would focus on at-risk students.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
A case that pitted the governor against the voters of North Carolina had a Franklin County resident at its center.
Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood ruled in Wake County Superior Court on Friday that Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson should be in charge of overseeing public education in the state.
In January, Gov. Beverly Perdue tabbed Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Bill Harrison to dual roles of chairman of the educational board and CEO of the public school system.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
A northern Franklin County woman was airlifted to WakeMed on Thursday morning following a wreck that nearly submerged her vehicle.
According to Trooper T.W. Allen, who was working his second submerged car wreck within a week — said Jakeia Person, 17, lost control of the 2008 Chevy sedan she was driving and slid down an embankment.
The driver’s side of the vehicle struck a tree and the rear of the car came to rest in a creek on Vaiden Road at about 9:30 a.m.
“The tires on the vehicle were slick,” Allen said.
By:
GARY CUNARD, Times Publisher
In a move that surprised virtually no one, it was announced Friday morning that the HON office furniture manufacturing plant in Louisburg will be closing.
The closure will cost about 93 local jobs and comes as the result of a year-long review, explained Gary Carlson, vice president of HNI, the company that owns HON and six other companies.
Carlson said the closing will happen by the end of the year but until then the plant will continue to operate.
STATESVILLE - Janis Mary McManus Ernst, 53, formerly of Louisburg, died Tuesday, July 14, 2009, at Iredell Memorial Hospital. A service of remembrance celebrating her life will be held at 2 p.m. today (Saturday, July 18) in the Westmoreland Chapel of Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home.
ZEBULON - Jason Herbert Ramsey, 70, died Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Funeral services were conducted Friday, July 17, in the Strickland Funeral Home chapel, Wendell, with burial following in Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Zebulon.
KITTRELL - Stella Talbert Young, 99, died Thursday, July 16, 2009 at Maria Parham Medical Center in Henderson. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. today (Saturday, July 18) at Plank Chapel United Methodist Church by the Rev. Carol Dean. Burial will follow in Sunset Gardens.
The Louisburg/Youngsville 7-8 ‘Pink Panthers’ won the Tar Heel League District Six Softball Championship last week in Wendell. Pictured are team members (back, l to r) Coaches Tony Poole, Dawn Riggan, Jerry Faulkner and Eric Coats; (middle, l to r) Morgan Young, Kaylee Saunders, Hayley Poole, Kennedy Capps, Brittany Davis, Dallas Brock and Amber Riggan; (front, l to r) Morgan Hopkins, Emma Jones, Kameron Coats and Jessica Faulkner. Not pictured is Jayla Arnold.
WENDELL -- The Louisburg/Youngsville All-Stars won the Tar Heel League District 6 Softball Championship last week.
L-Y, featuring girls in the 7-8 age division, rallied out of the loser’s bracket to defeat Rolesville twice and earn the crown.
L-Y lost its first-round game but fought back and eventually took home the title.
Hayley Poole led the way for the winners with a hot bat to go with smothering defense up the middle from her pitcher’s position.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. -- Brad Stone and two Jacksonville relievers combined on a three-hit shutout of the Carolina Mudcats in the nightcap of last Saturday’s doubleheader, defeating the Mudcats 1-0 at the Baseball Grounds in a Class AA Southern League baseball contest.
The Suns (13-7) managed just two total hits in Saturday’s doubleheader, and the run in the nightcap did not need a hit to score.
Tom Cochran (L, 1-3) fanned Chris Hatcher to leadoff the inning, but a wild pitch put Hatcher aboard.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Bunn’s All-Star squads will return to action this weekend at the Dixie Minor League and Major League Baseball State Tournaments.
The Bunn Minors, coached by Jimmy Johnson, will compete in the annual Dixie 9-10 event, which will be held this year at Clarkton Park in Bladen County.
Bunn’s first-round outing will be Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Sandhills All-Stars.
If Bunn wins, Johnson’s club would play again Sunday at 7 p.m. versus the winner of the Oxford-Bladen County showdown.
In my line of work, losing is never glorified.
Which is a shame in many ways. Sometimes, teams simply fall to a superior opponent.
Or things just don’t fall certain ways during the course of a game or tournament.
Still, everybody wants to know why a team loses, whether it be a youth league contest or one of the area’s high school football squads.
Usually, folks examine things through the colored glasses of their respective favorite team.
RALEIGH -- The Town and County Stingrays continued their area swim season last Thursday with a road trip to North Raleigh to meet long-time foe Winchester Swim Team.
Town and Country was defeated by the Waves, though the final scoring was unavailable at press time.
The Stingrays will be in action again this Thursday versus the Broadland Barracudas.
Broadlands’ pool is located off Trawick Road in North Raleigh.
Sigma Alpha Lambda announced that Heather E. Harris of Louisburg has recently become recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, National Leadership and Honors Organization at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sigma Alpha Lambda is a national leadership and honors organization dedicated to promoting and rewarding academic achievement and providing members with opportunities for community service, personal development and lifelong professional fulfillment.
Elizabeth Herrera of Louisburg received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke during the school’s May 2 commencement.
Lauren Brooke Preddy of Youngsville has made the Peace College spring 2009 semester Dean’s List with Distinction. A student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.70 to 3.99 to receive this designation.
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke announces Carly Alana Lawrence of Franklinton has made their spring 2009 semester Honors List.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
WILMINGTON -- As it turned out, too many obstacles stood in the way of the Bunn All-Stars at the Dixie Softball Ponytails (11-12) State Tournament.
Bunn, the defending state champion on the 9-10 level, went to the states with a club that was already short-handed, as a handful of members from the earlier title club opted not to participate.
And moving up an age group meant that the Ponytails would be among the youngest teams in this year’s event at the Cape Fear Optimist Park, located in the Castle Hayne portion of Wilmington.
Ann Perry and Clayton Thorne of Louisburg are proud to announce the birth of their son, Omarion Tyrese Thorne, born Dec. 10, 2008 at Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson. He weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 19 1/2 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are John Perry and Mary Perry of Louisburg.
Campbell University has released its Dean’s and President’s Lists for the spring 2009 semester.
The following local Campbell University students are Campbell University President’s List Honorees: Jordan Beckham of Louisburg and Bradley Gardner of Franklinton.
Miss Raven Gabrielle Hartsfield of Greensboro graduated Summa Cum Laude on Sunday, June 7, 2009 from James Benson Dudley High School. She was valedictorian of her 350-member graduating senior class. She completed her senior year with a grade point average of 4.81.
Raven will continue her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she will major in economics and Spanish. Raven is very active in her school, community and church. She is the recipient of over $565,000 in academic scholarships.
Erica Renee Hill and Ryan Tharrington announce the birth of their daughter, Ashlynn Renee Tharrington, born June 5, 2009 at Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson. She weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.
Maternal grandparents are Ronnie and Maggie Hill of Louisburg.
Jodi Murashige of Rougemont announces the engagement of her daughter, Paige Lauren Murashige, to Dustin James Arnold, son of Mr. and Mrs. Willie Arnold of Bunn. A July 25, 2009 wedding is planned at Atlantic Beach.
Doctor and Mrs. William Thomas Walker Jr. of Morehead City announce the engagement of their daughter, Caroline Jolene Walker of Raleigh, to Chad Michael Carter, also of Raleigh. The groom-elect is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Michael Carter of Louisburg. The wedding will take place on Sept. 12, 2009 at First United Methodist Church in Morehead City.
Rachel Bishop of Wake Forest and Travis FormyDuval of Newport will exchange wedding vows on Sept. 19 at Bogue Watch in Newport. The bride-elect is the daughter of Patricia and Ted Lysen of Rolesville and Joe and Maria Bishop of Louisburg. The prospective groom is the son of Jack and Susan FormyDuval of Newport.
