Recent Articles

RALEIGH -- Medicaid expansion will no longer launch Oct. 1 as the North Carolina General Assembly failed to take needed action to meet that date. The NC Department of Health and Human Services has been working diligently, every day, to be ready for Oct. 1.
And now, with five days left and clarity that no votes will be taken, the department is confident that legislators will not sign a budget this month, nor pass separate legislation giving the final authorization to provide health coverage to more than 600,000 North Carolinians.

LOUISBURG -- Mistakes at the most inopportune times doomed the Louisburg Warriors during their regular season football opener last Thursday at home.
The young Warriors went toe-to-toe with a veteran Southeast Halifax club for most of the way in the evenly matched contest, but LHS' untimely turnovers would proved to be its demise during a 40-22 setback at the LHS Football Field.

Louisburg's Isaiah Eddie picks up yardage on the ground during the Warriors' home football meeting last Thursday evening against former conference opponent Southeast Halifax.

BUNN -- Progress was made on the defensive side of the ball, but Bunn's offense still has some work to do following last Thursday's home contest against Northampton County.
The Wildcats limited NC's high-powered offense to just a pair of scores, but the Jags came through with a clutch pick-six that changed the momentum in the game in their favor in the second quarter of action.

BUNN -- The Bunn Ladycats sure are growing up fast to date this season on the Big East Conference volleyball scene.
BHS, with just three seniors and one returning starter, fell to rival Louisburg in the first week of the campaign -- but the Ladycats haven't lost since.
That streak is now at 3-1 -- and Bunn is 4-1 overall -- following Tuesday's Big East opener at home against Rocky Mount.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Nash Central and Franklinton tangled last Thursday in an early-season girls tennis matchup loaded with implications for the Big East Conference standings.
Central was able to secure a 7-2 decision over the Lady Rams at the NCHS Courts.

FRANKLINTON -- A scoreless first half is almost unheard of these days in high school football, but that was the scenario that played out last Friday when the Franklinton Red Rams hosted South Central for a non-conference gridiron showdown.
Defense ruled the day for most of the game -- and it didn't help the offenses that they were plagued by mistakes and penalties.

ZEBULON -- Blayberg Diaz extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Jahder Areinamo went 2-for-4, but Columbia's Trevor Werner homered twice and drove in five runs while leading the Fireflies to a 9-0 rout of the homestanding Carolina Mudcats in Sunday's series finale at Five County Stadium.

Mary Burrell poses with her craft project at Franklinton Senior Center.

Youngsville, NC--Thomas Edward O'Donohue, 78, of Youngsville, died Tuesday, August 22, 2023. He was born on August 8, 1945, to the late Patrick and Catherine Marshall O'Donohue. In addition to his parents, Tom was predeceased by his siblings, Pat and Cathy O'Donohue.

Franklinton, NC-- Paul Douglas Philpott, 96, of Franklinton died August 27, 2023. He was born on October 18, 1926, to the late Clinton Philpott and Esther Preddy Abbott. In addition to his parents, Paul was predeceased by his wife, Marie Dixon Philpott.

Louisburg, NC-Funeral services for Elbert "Yunk" Perry, age 62, who died on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 will be held 2 p.m., Friday, September 1, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Danny Upchurch officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

Louisburg, NC--Francis "Frank" Earl Johnson Jr., 28, of Louisburg, died Monday, August 21, 2023.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Delphine Perry Manson Neal, age 66, who died on Saturday, August 26, 2023, will be 3 p.m., Sunday, September 3, from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. David Perry officiating. Burial will follow in the Allen Chapel Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC--Lala Mae McLamb Moon, 94, of Louisburg, passed away Sunday morning, August 27, 2023, at Franklin Oaks.

"Teddie" Coyne, 100, of Raleigh, lost her long battle with dementia Monday morning, August 28, 2023, at Tower Nursing and Rehab.

LAKE ROYALE -- Last Sunday dawned bright and clear with much lower humidity than we've all endured in recent days, thankfully.
It was a perfect day to go hunting for a body -- and what better place than the picturesque waters of Lake Royale?
At the appointed time -- around 8 a.m. -- folks began pulling up to a parking area near the lake's boat ramp to find the area cordoned off in bright yellow crime scene tape and officials gathering around -- and awaiting the most important person of the morning, the lady who was to deliver cubes of coffee and boxed breakfasts.

CASTALIA -- An employee of a local propane company died Monday when a tank exploded on a customer's tobacco farm.
Francis (Frank) Earl Johnson Jr., 25, of Louisburg, worked as a delivery truck driver for L. H. Dickens & Son, a Franklin County based low pressure gas supplier.
At approximately 11 a.m., Johnson was at a property located at 16628 Red Bud Road in Castalia, said Chief Deputy Allen Wilson with the Nash County Sheriff's Office.

LOUISBURG -- In a surprise move following an hour-long secret, closed-door session, the Louisburg Town Council came back into public session Monday night and quickly agreed to purchase three vacant residential lots on the south side of town.
Since the lots are vacant, they do not have numbers beyond plat designations but one was purchased for $2,000 along South Main Street; one was bought for $30,000 on Ridley Street and one was purchased for $45,000 on Grant Street.

LOUISBURG -- A lawsuit alleging a property owner was involved in a plot to torch their home for insurance purposes has been dropped.
On Aug. 2, Sharon Anders and North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Inc. and Farm Bureau Insurance of North Carolina filed notice that they reached an agreement on all issues and had agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice -- meaning it cannot be refiled.

FRANKLINTON -- Despite opposition, town commissioners approved a rezoning that's the first step toward a nearly 50-unit planned development along the backside of an established neighborhood.
And, as the Board of Adjustment, officials agreed to issue a special use permit for a masonry company -- again, despite opposition from nearby residents.
Both actions took place during the board's Aug. 15 meeting.

The Franklin County Democratic Party hosted a fan giveaway and distributed 58 fans to seniors living without air conditioning in the community. Pictured, front row, from left, are Brenda Neal, Janet Taylor, Armenta Eaton, and Beverly Kegley. On the back row are, from left, Sherry Ellis, Clarence Williams and Dr. Phil Stover.