Recent Articles

Let's start off by trying something a little different this week.
In past weeks, we've used enough ink to float a small ship trying to explain the details of the proposed Franklin County Schools' budget for the upcoming fiscal year, 2023-24.
We've presented a huge amount of detail -- including a long message from School System Superintendent Rhonda Schuhler in last week's edition.

In the last few weeks, I've used this very column space to highlight folks who have appeared before our county Board of Commissioners and asked for help.
Distinctly, and specifically, Commission Vice Chair David Bunn noted how brave it was for folks, particularly a group of youngsters, to appear before the board and share their concerns.

Dear editor:
It's budget time. The Franklin County Board of Education has sent their funding request to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
Education is one of the state's and Franklin County's most important responsibilities.

Dear editor:
John Edwards asks us to "do some research yourself" in his recent letter calling man-made climate change a hoax. He claims that ".5 percent," or 1 of every 200 scientists believe that humans are causing it, which is ridiculous. Maybe he meant to say ".5" instead of ".5 percent," or half of scientists believe it, which would still be a large number.

Dear editor:
Just about every day on the TV news, social media, radio news and in newspapers there is a story about some horrific event that affects many Americans!
I think the way people are educated has a big effect on what's happening in America now! People say you can be anything you want to be and do what you want to do!

Dear editor:
It has been interesting to follow the indictment of former President Trump by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. President Trump has been charged with 34 felonies. Wow, Al Capone was charged with only 5 counts of tax evasion. This must be serious. Go figure.

Dear editor:
The women's roundtable for social affairs invites me to sit down and to shut up. I just sit there, muted and clueless, gazing at an empty coffee cup.
Seeking a warmer reception and pertinent discussion, I move to a table of old bucks, seriously weighing the virtues and faults of the newest and latest pickup trucks.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Youngsville's newly proposed charter continues to wind its way through the General Assembly with some changes.
Taking the advice of counsel, the Legislature removed three powers that Youngsville commissioners hoped to be able to wield under its new charter:
• The authority for board members to form forums and vote, remotely;

The Franklin County Arts Council is planning its annual spring writers retreat for Saturday, June 3 at Rolling View State Park's community building. The retreat runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
People of all stages of writing experience are invited.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The least suspenseful season in Big East Conference boys golf history came to a conclusion last Wednesday -- with the same finish as always.
Powerhouse Roanoke Rapids claimed a first-place finish in every league match this spring, so it was no surprise when the Yellow Jackets took the top spot at the annual Big East Championships at The River GC near Bunn.

FRANKLINTON -- Northern Nash's boys and Rocky Mount's girls were the big winners at last Tuesday's annual Big East Conference Track and Field Championships on the campus of Franklinton High School.
The Fighting Knights ended Southern Nash's recent control of the top trophy by securing 165 total points to take first place in the hotly contest standings.

STANHOPE -- Louisburg might be building for the future, but Southern Nash had some right-now business to take care of during last Thursday's Big East Conference girls soccer showdown.
Needing a victory to remain atop the league standings, the Ladybirds got the job done in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 9-0 decision over LHS at historic Firebird Stadium on the SNHS campus.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg-Bunn softball rivalry is always an intense one -- even during a regular season finale matchup with not much to play for in the Big East Conference standings.
But the visiting Ladycats, fresh off a string of recent tough losses, were fired up from the get-go and went on to defeat Louisburg by a 19-3 margin last Wednesday in league action at the LHS Softball Field.

ZEBULON -- With a season-high 4,252 fans on hand at Five County Stadium, the Carolina Mudcats finished with a de facto doubleheader split with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers last Saturday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
Carolina (11-8) took the first game 1-0, but fell in the second 8-1 to the visiting Cannon Ballers (12-7) in Zebulon.

Franklin County Relay for Life Event Chair Volunteer, Danette Cheatham

LOUISBURG--Thadeus "Ted" Polzin, 89, of Louisburg, died Tuesday morning, May 2, 2023, at his home.

NASHVILLE, NC--Julian Michael Philips, 72, of Nashville, died Sunday, April 30, 2023 at his home. Mike was born in Rock Hill, SC on July 4, 1950 to the late Julian Farris and Laura King Phillips. In addition to his parents, Mike is predeceased by a sister, Joan Bass.

APEX, NC--Martha Ann Bright, 51, of Apex North Carolina passed away Wednesday, April 26, 2023 unexpectedly at her home.

Barbara Bunn Tetterton died peacefully on May 1, 2023 at the age of 86. Barbara was raised in the New Hope Community by her parents, Bertis and Voncille Bunn. Barbara grew up appreciating the value of hard work, the love of family, and the importance of serving God and others.

FRANKLINTON, NC --Bettye Lane Gupton Smiley, 83, of Franklinton, passed away Thursday afternoon at WakeMed.

LOUISBURG, NC--Cora "Elaine" Robbins, 69, of Louisburg passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at her home surrounded by her family. She was born on October 7, 1953 to the late Parker Robbins and Vivian Carter Robbins in Franklin County, North Carolina.

LOUISBURG, NC --Funeral services for Esther "Miss Esther" Brodie Daniels, age 62, who died on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, April 29, from the Ambassadors For Christ Ministries in Louisburg with Minister Tyrese Perry officiating.

LOUISBURG -- County Manager Kim Denton updated officials on management's efforts to rollout a plan to compensate county employees for good work.
"We have been working on this for over a year now," County Manager Kim Denton told commissioners during their April 3 meeting.
Commissioners put more than $30,000 in the current budget to train employees and supervisors about how the pay for performance plan will work. Another $30,500 was budgeted to buy the software platform for the evaluation process.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN. Special Olympics Franklin County held their Spring Games at Franklinton High School on April 21. Dozens of athletes competed in events, ranging from running and jumping to a softball toss. Above, Leilani Alston shows off her medal.