Two familiar sounds reminded me this week that winter has arrived upon the sporting landscape in Franklin County.
When you enter a high school gymnasium for a basketball game, there is always a mixture of dribbling basketballs, background music, cheerleaders doing their routines and fans talking in unison to create a single humming voice.
It’s basketball season, folks.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
BUNN -- Judging by Wednesday’s regular season opener, head coach Gerald Melton has some work to do with his Bunn High School boys basketball squad.
But even though the Wildcats were soundly defeated, maybe the level of competition needs to be considered, too.
Wilson Fike, a Class 3-A squad, has talent, speed and length -- and the Demons entered Wednesday’s game hungry for a victory.
High School Basketball
TUESDAY
Ravenscroft at Franklinton 6:30 p.m.
KIPP Pride at Louisburg 6 p.m.
Bunn at Tarboro 6 p.m.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Louisburg College Hurricanes couldn’t make it two victories in a row against Spartanburg Methodist College.
Instead, the host Pioneers, who had fallen to LC earlier in the campaign, got a measure of revenge on the Canes during Wednesday’s rematch in the Palmetto State of South Carolina.
Louisburg’s Kiefer Norris (left) gets tangled up with Southern Nash’s Ryan Biggerstaff during Wednesday’s prep mat event at the Edward Best Gymnasium. Norris lost by decision, but his Warriors earned a 43-27 decision over the Firebirds. For more pictures and a story from the match, see next Wednesday’s edition.
Louisburg High School graduate Brandi Pinnell enjoyed an exceptional junior campaign as a member of the Peace College volleyball squad in Raleigh. The Pacers went 19-13 overall.
Freshman Mercedez Cooke (with ball) tries to find an open teammate for the Louisburg Lady Warriors during Tuesday night’s home girls basketball contest against Rocky Mount Prep.
Allison Kathleen Drummond and Christopher Bartholomew Stewart were married on Oct. 3, 2009 at 6 o’clock in the evening. The outdoor ceremony was held at the City Club at de Rosset in Wilmington with the Rev. Dr. Reggie Rushing of Louisburg officiating.
The bride is the daughter of Linda Karen Drummond of Raleigh and the late Dr. Douglas James Drummond. She is the granddaughter of John Bregg and the late Shirley Bregg of Ottawa, Canada, and the late Bill and Inez Drummond of Ottaway Canada and Lakeland, Fla.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Nearly two months after Novant assumed ownership of Franklin Regional Medical Center, they tabbed a leadership team that features something old and something new.
Out are CEO Mike McNair and Brenda Sponsler, Chief Nursing Officer, both Health Management Associate holdovers from the late September purchase.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Franklin County airport officials and county staff are moving closer to hiring a new airport manager.
Rob Southerland resigned the position, effective Oct. 1, and airport commissioners worked to refine the job description before posting the application in airport circles.
The closing date for applications was Monday.
Granted, it was only Thanksgiving Day but Emma McManus, 10, of Wake Forest, was using a few quiet minutes to get a start on her Christmas stocking, just as many youngsters are beginning to do. And while most of the younger generation groan at the thought of having to wait just over three more whole weeks for Santa’s arrival, the same time period seems extremely short for many of the adults who have much to do in three short weeks. Emma was working on her stocking at a crafts area set up at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Louisburg College that was sponsored by A Blessing, Inc.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
A Henderson man sentenced to life plus 50 years in prison for killing a Franklin County store owner and clerk back in 1981 was released on parole just before Thanksgiving.
Franklin County sheriff’s deputies arrested Howard Lee Alston in May of 1981 — three and a half months after investigators alleged he shot and killed R.W. “Bobby” Foster and Jack Stainback inside Foster’s store along U.S. 401 north of Ingleside in the Kearney community.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
The United Way of Franklin County is hosting its annual teachers grant reception this week and both the need and donations were up.
Each year, the human services organization solicits donations as well as teacher projects and awards teachers funding based on the merits of their programs.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
A project designed to bring sewer to the last of Louisburg’s outposts has been delayed, but a project to clean up its mess could move forward this week.
Mainline Contracting of Durham began work on the project in June, but the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, halting the 25,610 linear foot project in its tracks.
Zachary Clifton of Louisburg
The honor roll for the first nine-week grading period at Louisburg Elementary School has been announced and includes the following students:
A two-piano concert featuring Marjorie Mitchell and Daniel Steinert is planned for Sunday, Dec. 6, at Cherry Hill. The performance will begin at 3 p.m.
The concert program will include music by Mozart, Brahms and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Mitchell has delighted both critics and audiences throughout Eastern and Western Europe, the United States, the near East, Canada, Central America and Mexico, appearing as a soloist with major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony.
This time of year -- from a little before Thanksgiving until after the first of a new year -- is for most Americans a time of the year focused on family.
But for some, that’s not possible without some extra help.
With that in mind, we present a message from Ken Tutterow, president, and Sandy Cook, executive vice president of programs at the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.
GOOD MORNING: I don’t know how many people realize it, but one of the benefits of writing a column like this comes in the form of feedback from readers. And when the feedback takes the form of a personal letter and momento from someone like former NASA Aerospace Engineer Kirby Hinson, of U.S. 401, South, Louisburg, whose parachute descent system brought the Apollo 11 space capsule and crew safely back to earth after their historic moon landing in July 1969, it’s extra special.
I got two pieces of news on Tuesday, and I don’t know which one was more alarming.
First, the National Weather Service issued a notice that severe weather could be headed our way (Wednesday).
Then, Gov. Beverly Perdue made headlines because she revealed that the Medicaid program is about $150 million over budget.
Let me tackle the bad weather, first.
Last Week’s Poll
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Dear Editor,
I had one of the most heartwarming experiences of my life last December when a “special little girl” (and her Lieutenant Mitchell) participated in the Shop with a Cop program.
It’s that time of year again for the program Sheriff Pat Green started after he took office and this is the third year for the program. God bless you and your department for making a difference in many children’s lives again this Christmas.
Sir Walter Raleigh’s first explorers described our state as “the goodliest land under the cope of heaven.” What was true then is even truer today, but human nature being what it is, we too frequently focus on what’s bad instead of the goodness we encounter.
