Recent Articles

CREEDMOOR -- Regardless of the talent level, Bunn High School's boys basketball team has been well-coached for the past 50 years. The list of coaches who have gone through the BHS doors includes the likes of legends such as Lin Green, Scott McInnes and Gerald Melton. And it continues these days with Patrick Reynell.
However, Reynell's has not had the elite skill performers that some of the other skippers have enjoyed -- but that might be changing.

CREEDMOOR -- It's an understatement to say that Matt Keith is undergoing a serious, from-the-ground-up rebuilding project this season as he begins his second tenure as the Bunn MHigh School girls basketball coach.
Keith enjoyed the life of a frontrunner during his first time around at BHS as he oversaw a program that was a consistent contender for the championship of the now-defunct Northern Carolina Conference -- and the Ladycats were also a threat to make some annual noise in the Class 2-A State Playoffs.

BUNN -- Bunn's girls will return to defend their championships at the annual Bunn High School Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The three-day event will be held from December 27-29 at the historic Bunn Dome in Franklin County.
Northern Nash's girls will also be back for the tourney, but the NN boys -- several-time champions -- will not participate this time around.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats have announced all nine souvenir giveaway items for the upcoming 2024 season at Five County Stadium.
The new souvenir giveaway schedule, spread across nine Souvenir Saturday dates, is highlighted by five jerseys, a duffel bag and wearable items including a hoodie, button-up shirt and a hat.

Oldcastle Lawn and Garden in Louisburg held a toy drive during the month of November. Employees brought in toys, and in turn donated them to the Franklin County Department of Social Services just in time for Christmas. Susan Weathers (pictured in front), with Franklin County Social Services, happily accepted the donations. Leadership for the toy drive came from Oldcastle site manager Luca Sundas, pictured to the right of Weathers.

LOUISBURG, NC--Harold David Kegley of Louisburg died Wednesday, December 6, 2023. No arrangements are scheduled at this time.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Alice Lawrence Brooks of Franklinton age 76, died December 6, 2023.

LOUISBURG, NC--Clara "Yvonne" Dement, 83 of Louisburg, died Friday, December 8, 2023 at Kitty Askins in Goldsboro, NC.

Louisburg, NC--Pamela Jean Ball Hayes, 73, of Louisburg, passed away on December 8, 2023. She was born on August 16, 1950, to the late Walter Henry and Robbie Lee Lassiter Ball. In addition to her parents, Pamela was predeceased by her husband, George Hayes, and her sister, Emily Ball Hodges.

Pamela is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Chuck Odom; grandchildren, Sabrina Odom and Levi Odom; her sister, LeAnn Ball Hayes and husband Ted of Louisburg; brothers, Walter Ball, Jr. (Buster) and wife Vickie of Youngsville, Ronald Ball of Louisburg, and Donald Ball of Louisburg; as well as numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews.

Louisburg, NC--LuAnn Stott Salzillo, 68, of Louisburg, NC, went on to her heavenly home on December 5, 2023 after a truly courageous in-home struggle with Alzheimer's disease. She was born in Wilson, NC, on January 6, 1955 to Lloyd George Stott and Eva Jeanette Stott (both deceased).

FRANKLINTON, NC--Ricky Lee Horton, 59, of Franklinton, passed away Wednesday morning, December 6, 2023 at WakeMed.

Ricky was preceded in death by his father, Kenneth Lee Horton.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Lucy Mae Macon, age 94 who died on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, were held on Monday, December 11, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Dr. David K. Rosby officiating. Burial followed in the Perry's Church Cemetery.

FUN ALL AROUND. Santa with Daylon and Emry Edwards.

FUN ALL AROUND. Shane gives Atley Smith a better view of Youngsville's parade.

FRANKLINTON -- State Department of Transportation representatives provided an update on plans to connect Franklinton to the northeast and southern seaboard via rail, along with a parallel plan to spur centrally-located economic development in town.
Those prospects, though, will come at the expense of three roads that will be cut off by planned closings to accommodate the "higher-speed" passenger rail service.

BUNN -- The town's governing board swore in one new member and one returning during its meeting on Monday.
One of the first acts of the newly constituted board was to delay action on a partnership with a community emergency response team.
During the meeting, Mayor Strawbridge swore in Ally Leggett as the town's newest commissioner and Nicole Brantley as a returning board member.

LOUISBURG -- The filing period opened on Monday, with a handful of early candidates staking claims for party nominations on the board of commissioners and seats on the board of education.
County Commission District seats 1, 3, 5 and 7 are up for election on the Board of Commissioners and, so far, Ryan Williams and Logan Davis have filed for the Democratic party nomination for District 1.

Debbie and Cliff Williams

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- More than 21 miles of local roadway will be updated thanks to a contract recently awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation. Carolina Sunrock LLC of Raleigh will mill, resurface, and reconstruct shoulders along portions of seven roads under the $3.35 million contract:

The Democratic Women of Franklin County provided backpacks full of supplies in support of veterans in need. This project is one of several community service projects for the party, including providing box fans to the elderly during the extreme heat last summer. The backpacks were delivered to the Franklin County Veterans Services Office by Barbara Alston, Jenny Edwards, Armenta Eaton and Sherry Ellis on behalf of the FCDW.

At the risk of reporting what every child in Franklin County already knows, Santa Claus sightings have been reported -- and are likely to become even more numerous!
The Christmas season is in full swing and if you haven't made your list and checked it twice, you'd better get crackin.'
And yes, I'm going to try to take my own suggestion -- although I'm usually the last person on board with all the holiday stuff.

Before Monday's Franklin County Commissioners' meeting devolved into a split fight for power, there was one thing that united them -- The Franklin Fury.
Last month, the Franklin County Special Olympics soccer team -- which has been around for about two years -- captured gold in the Special Olympics of North Carolina Soccer League Invitational in Cumberland County on Nov. 4; and the Special Olympics North Carolina Fall League in Charlotte, Nov. 16-18.

Dear editor: I am writing to express my concerns with the Tar River Basin study and the lack of concern/effort from our county leaders to be involved in that study from day one.
No one from this county (to my knowledge) attended the virtual "kick off" meeting for the study nearly three years ago and no one attended the virtual meeting of this draft document last month (I was at both... and I aggravated the Army Corps of Engineers' project leader the entire three years the study was underway).