By the time you read this, we Franklin Countians may be soggy, lightly dusted with the white stuff or -- hopefully not! -- buried up to our chins in a snowdrift.
The weather man was a bit uncertain about the forecast for the weekend as this was being written but one thing appeared certain. Moisture, perhaps frozen, was coming our way in the first potential winter storm of the season.
Actually, that would be a very late fall storm since winter doesn’t officially arrive until Monday.
GOOD MORNING: Indeed, that’s exactly what I hope that I’d have cause to exclaim when I arose this (Saturday) morning ‘cause the weather forecasts certainly indicated otherwise.
And the winter season does officially begin on Monday.
Ho, Ho, Ho!
Tis the Season to:
1) Run and hide
2) Panic
3) Be Jolly
4) Tell everyone on your gift list that they’ve been bad so they shouldn’t expect much
5) All of the above
From my perch here on Bickett Boulevard, number 5 looks like the best bet except that I’d prefer an answer that was all of the above except number 3!
RALEIGH – I guess it’s cold comfort to say this in a state with thousands of residents underwater on their mortgages, but by national standards, North Carolina didn’t experience much of a housing bubble during the past decade. Our trends look nothing like those of states such as California and Arizona where the housing markets look a bit like smoking ruins.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested an elderly woman accused of damaging property and assaulting a deputy.
According to an incident report, Dep. Allen Batchelor was dispatched to a suspicious person call at 172 Brewer Road on Tuesday evening.
When he arrived, Betty Collins told him that a neighbor, Phyllis Courtney, 62, drove through her yard, doing donuts around a tree.
The North Carolina Boys Choir and Chamber Choir will present their annual Christmas Concert in Duke University Chapel on Monday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
LOUISBURG - Onnie Mae Massenburg Mitchell, 91, died Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009.
LOUISBURG - Linda Jeffreys, 47, died Dec. 14, 2009 at WakeMed in Raleigh.
LOUISBURG - Kevin Thomas Ayscue, 24, died Tuesday, dec. 15, 2009, at UNC Hospital after a long illness.
NASHVILLE - Donald Ray Ellis, 41, died Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009.
YOUNGSVILLE - Pearl Frances Huston, 65, died Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009.
WENDELL - Dera Rodgers, 95, died Monday, Dec. 14, 2009.
Teachers from the Franklin County school district were among the 196 educators recently honored at the annual Touchstone Energy Bright Ideas education grant awards luncheon at the Hilton North Raleigh.
Darrell Scott, whose daughter Rachel was the first victim of the Columbine High School shootings, delivered the luncheon’s keynote address.
Thank God for people who are willing to sacrifice and go the extra mile in order to help others. The number of mission trips has increased tremendously in the last few years for people who have one thing on their minds: to give of themselves to make others feel loved.
Mrs. Elaine Ihrie ’s fifth-grade class at Bunn Elementary has been making global connections by communicating with a class in Russia and a class in South Korea via e-mail.
Students have exchanged pictures of themselves and their towns as attachments.
The students have also exchanged information about the history, holidays, hobbies, famous people and popular books of their countries.
Department of Social Services workers, Chanel Parris, front and center, and from left to right, Jeanette Richards, Tijuana Miller, Susan Miller and Tiffany Montford-Raynor take time out for a picture at the Angel Tree set up at Walmart. Angel Tree allowed shoppers to pull angels from the tree, which had corresponding information about gift requests for those children in foster care. Earlier this week, an anonymous donor, through the county’s United Way, helped DSS clear the Angel Tree and provide gifts for 74 children. “Sponsors have really, really been great,” said DSS Director Nicki Griffin.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
FRANKLINTON -- Early in the fourth quarter, the struggling Franklinton Lady Rams didn’t seem to have a chance against Southern Nash in Thursday’s non-league girls basketball matchup.
The Lady Rams trailed by 11 points, and the Firebirds looked to be well on their way to a victory.
Southern Nash eventually got that win, but it didn’t come as easily as expected.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
FRANKLINTON - Newton’s Theory of Basketball Success is simple for the Franklinton High School Red Rams.
When Dustin Newton is in the lineup, the Red Rams are a much, much better team.
Newton, FHS’ standout senior frontliner, missed the Rams’ first three games of the season with a back injury.
And Franklinton lost each one of them.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
LOUISBURG -- Moving up in classification hasn’t been a difficulty so far for the Louisburg High School wrestling team.
All along, the Warriors, formerly of the Class 1-A level, thought they would be able to compete for a championship this season in the Class 2-A Northern Carolina Conference.
Nothing has happened to date to dispel that notion.
With my championship wrapped up in The Franklin Times NFL Fantasy Football League, it’s now time to shift focus to be biggest FT prize of all:
The beloved ‘Old Ironsides’ stapler, which goes to the winner of our College Football Bowl Picks Contest.
The stapler currently sits on my desk -- as it has for five of the contest’s seven years of existence.
BUNN -- Trailing by 10 points at halftime, the Bunn Wildcats rallied to take the lead late in the game during Thursday’s Northern Carolina Conference boys basketball showdown against North Johnston.
But the visiting Panthers received a pair of free throws from Charles Vick with three seconds left to defeat the Wildcats by a 57-56 score at the Bunn Dome.
LEAGUE CHAMPS. The Backyard Ballers won the championship recently at the Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department Adult Co-Ed League Volleyball Tournament. Pictured are (back, l to r) Christiana Fischer, Erin McIntyre, Rebecca Green, Sarah Smith and Gretchen Gupton; (front, l to r) Chris Gupton, Coach Marvin Edwards and Tyler Pollock. (Photo Submitted)
Franklinton’s Lane Pickett (top) registered a decision versus Louisburg’s Jackson Ellis during Tuesday’s prep wrestling showdown at the Edward Best Elementary School Gymnasium.
Dustin Newton has returned from injury to help lead the Franklinton Red Rams to a pair of wins.
BUTNER - William Alva Wheless, 86, formerly of 301 8th St., died Friday, December 11, 2009, at Carolina Medical Center in Concord.
