Recent Articles

Even though Mother Nature is still flirting with us just a bit, it's become increasingly obvious that spring is definitely in the air -- and Old Man Winter is fading quickly.
The last few days have been a bit of a roller coaster as temperatures have reached into the mid 80s at times then dropped into the chilly 30s, with rain, from serious downpours to intermittent showers and drizzle.

The public comment portion of meetings don't always provide the give and take you'd want.
And, often, the public official comments portion of a meeting is just a general rundown of a list of bureaucratic meetings they attended.
Sometimes, though, they offer narratives that are just as important, if not more, than the items discussed and acted upon in a well-manicured agenda.
During the county's March 6 meeting, commissioners agreed to:

Dear editor: The General Assembly is now in the business of designing and mandating college curricula.
Talk about government overreach. Would we, their constituents prefer their efforts be spent on making The Old North State a better place to live and work tackling bigger and more vital issues like infrastructure, mental health issues, affordable housing and health, teacher and healthcare worker shortage, gun violence, prison reform, etc.?

BUNN -- One team was guaranteed to earn a much-needed feel-good victory when Northern Nash traveled to Bunn on Tuesday for a Big East Conference boys tennis showdown of winless clubs.
That squad would turn out to be the Northern Nash Fighting Knights, who topped the homestanding Wildcats by a 6-3 total for their initial triumph of the 2023 campaign.

Bunn High School's Josiah Clifton sends a winner across the net at No. 2 Singles for the Wildcats during Tuesday afternoon's home boys tennis contest against the Northern Nash Fighting Knights in Big East Conference court action.

BUNN -- A talented core of veterans and a potential-rich group of newcomers has the Bunn Ladycats in the mix for one of the top spots on the Big East Conference softball scene this spring.
Certainly, Bunn's four seniors are all impact standouts and long-term stars for the Ladycats.
But those performers have been complemented by a strong freshman class that is paying immediate dividends.

Bunn's Carlee Tart (right) makes a tag at second base during the Ladycats' home softball victory against Louisburg.

STANHOPE -- On a sunny day, the stars of the Big East Conference were shining brightly last Thursday at Firebird Stadium as Southern Nash hosted fellow league powers Nash Central and Franklinton for a quad meet that also featured up-and-coming Roanoke Rapids.
Southern Nash, the defending Big East champion, ruled the boys standings by accumulating a prosperous 327 total points for legendary head coach Sterling Leonard. Nash Central was far back at 159 points, followed by Franklinton (85) and Roanoke Rapids High School (40).

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The 'Big Three' made some big noise this season on the Big East Conference boys basketball scene.
That trio -- Northern Nash, Franklinton and Rocky Mount -- battled for league supremacy the entire campaign, and played some memorable games along the way.
Most notable of those contests -- at least in the regular season -- was Franklinton's triple-overtime triumph over Rocky Mount.
But that wasn't the only thriller -- and the heroics would last into the Big East Tournament and the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The 2022-23 girls basketball campaign was expected to be a prosperous one at Rocky Mount High School -- and the Lady Gryphons delivered.
Rocky Mount rolled through Big East Conference hoops action, winning the league's regular season and tournament championships. The Lady Gryphons would then claim the Class 3-A East Regional crown before falling to West Rowan in the 3-A state title showdown.

WAKE FOREST -- Roanoke Rapids' season-long control of the Big East Conference boys golf standings continued last Wednesday during an 18-hole match that was hosted by Franklinton at Brevofield GC in Wake County.
The talented Yellow Jackets cruised to yet another league victory by registering 323 strokes to get past runner-up Southern Nash (349) by 26 shots.
Franklinton was third overall at 362, followed by Northern Nash (403), Nash Central (405), Louisburg (411), Bunn (420) and Rocky Mount (435).

LOUISBURG -- During a county commissioners' meeting, a retired engineer pressed the county to start impounding its own water.
Later in the meeting, commission leadership noted that prospect was a dated idea.
The Army Corps of Engineers studied the Tar-Pamlico River Basin in the 1930s and 1960s, proposing measures to impound water that would offer two solutions:

Franklin County resident and cancer survivor Jean Lloyd at the Relay for Life Survivor Dinner

LOUISBURG, NC - Margie Mae Estep Skarzynski, 90, of Louisburg, died Sunday evening, March 26, 2023.

Nashville, NC--Funeral services for Lee Artis Richardson, age 66, who died on Monday, March 27, 2023, will be held 2 p.m., Saturday, April 1, from the Mt. Bethel Baptist Church in Warrenton with Pastor Willie D. Silver officiating. Burial will follow in the Haliwa-Saponi Cemetery.

Durham, NC--Funeral services for Janet Hill Lynch, age 89, formerly of Louisburg, NC, who died on Monday, March 27, 2023, will be held 12 p.m., Saturday, April 1, from the St. Mathias Episcopal Church in Louisburg with Father William E. Maddox III officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

Franklinton, NC--Ricky Isenhour of Franklinton, NC passed away on March 23, 2023. Ricky was born on November 26, 1962 to Allie Mae Young Isenhour and the late Guy Reid Isenhour. In addition to his father, Ricky is predeceased by a sister, Sharon Isenhour Waiden.

Henderson, NC --Marie Pace Floyd, 89, of Henderson, NC died Sunday, March 26, 2023, at Duke University Hospital in Durham.

KNIGHTDALE, NC--Patricia Higgins Underwood-Ayscue, 69, of Knightdale, passed away Saturday morning, March 25, 2023, surrounded by her family.

RALEIGH, NC--Annie Jo (A.J.) Griffin Gardner died on March 18, 2023, in Raleigh, NC, after a prolonged illness.

Franklinton, NC--Graveside services for Sarah McKnight Thomas, age 99, who died on Thursday, March 16, 2023, will be held 11 a.m., Friday, March 24, from the Manasseh Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery in Franklinton.

Louisburg, NC--Gary Wayne Gourley, 65, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, March 21, 2023. He was born on December 14, 1957, to Mr. James Clyde Gourley and Mrs. Dorothy Hall Gourley in Durham, NC.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton High School's girls soccer program has a new coach, a new approach and a new upward-thinking mentality as it works its way through what has been a successful 2023 campaign to date.
Franklinton's first-year skipper is Bri Folds -- a household name on the national soccer scene for her prolific accomplishments as a player at Auburn University, with the Carolina Courage and even internationally in Spain.