Recent Articles

Franklin County legend Brian Taylor

LOUISBURG -- A man accused of trying to kill his wife remains at large.
According to Sheriff Kevin White, deputies responded to a domestic dispute reported at a home on Bridgewater Drive at about 9:40 p.m. on Feb. 27.
Officers had to force entry into the home and found a critically injured woman inside.

LOUISBURG -- Authorities continue to look for a missing Franklin County man.
Anthony "AJ" Coley Jr. has been missing from the 2700 block of Person Road in the Alert community since 2 p.m. on Feb. 22.
He was last seen wearing a blueish-grey t-shirt, grey pants, white sneakers with red trim and a high-visibility green coat with reflective striping.

For all of us anxiously awaiting spring, there was a solid hint that it's just around the corner.
A news story making the rounds in South Carolina last week was urging residents there to hurry and get their hummingbird feeders out.
The reason? The mild winter and unseasonably warm weather is enticing the birds to migrate a little earlier this year.

Quite frankly, most of the waking, working part of my day is listening to the police scanner.
And, as I've done this for most of the 25 years of my professional life, I must also admit that most of the chatter serves as background noise -- hardly gaining my attention.
But, there are some things in a rural community that always capture my attention.

Dear editor: According to the Washington Post (I read both the Post and the New York Times daily, our own frequent letter contributor's experience notwithstanding) a North Carolina teacher in New Hanover county was recently disciplined for teaching about Columbus, using content she had taught her sophomore honors class in world history for 14 years.

Dear editor: I recently attended the Louisburg Town Council meeting on Monday night, Feb. 20. It is truly amazing what one can learn at these public meetings.
One of the actions taken at this meeting was addressing Resolution #9 "designating Depot Hill as a Future Town Hall and Event Space. The resolution was passed by the council with unanimous consent.

BUNN -- After conducting a nine-hole practice match two days earlier, the Big East Conference's boys golfers reconvened at The River GC last Wednesday for the league's initial 18-hole showdown of the 2023 campaign.
The results were right where the 2022 season left off as defending Big East champion Roanoke Rapids showed that it is once again the favorite to take home the conference's top boys golf team prize.

Louisburg High School veteran William Dement carded a 75 last Wednesday afternoon to earn medalist honors at the latest Big East Conference Boys Golf 18-hole match, which was held at The River GC.

FRANKLINTON -- Two rebuilding programs in search of a feel-good victory in the Big East Conference tangled Tuesday when Bunn traveled to Franklinton for a league boys tennis showdown at the FHS Courts.
Bunn held serve with the host Red Rams through the first four singles matches, but Franklinton's depth and strong doubles work gave Coach Michael Justice's club a 7-2 triumph.

Franklinton High School No. 1 Singles Player Grant Hendrick returns a shot during the Red Rams' home boys tennis matchup on Tuesday afternoon against Big East Conference and Franklin County rival Bunn.

RED OAK -- There wasn't a big inning, but methodically chipping away at their deficit proved to be an effective rallying tool for the Northern Nash Lady Knights on Tuesday during Big East Conference softball action against Louisburg.
The visiting Lady Warriors claimed a substantial early advantage, but Northern slowly but surely clawed back by scoring in all but one inning en route to picking up a 9-7 conquest over LHS in the Big East diamond opener for both clubs at the NNHS Softball Complex.

FRANKLINTON -- For Darrin Stinson, the first inkling came four years ago when he first laid eyes on a potential-rich, talented freshman class of players trying out for his Franklinton High School boys basketball squad.
It was pretty much then that Stinson knew the future was bright for the Red Rams -- and that proved to be a spot-on assessment.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats, the Class-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, have announced that single-game tickets for the 2023 season are on sale now at www.carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287 and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office in Zebulon.
Single-game ticket availability opens up all of Carolina's 2023 home games for purchase including each of the previously announced 10 souvenir giveaway events, the 11 Friday Night Fireworks nights, Opening Night on April 11, and the Mudcats for America Fireworks Extravaganza on Independence Day.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Here is this Saturday's schedule for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's State Basketball Championship Games:

LOUISBURG -- Town commissioners spent much of its strategic session figuring out how it could implement a new pay and classification study.
It would cost the town between $244,00 and $350,000 to implement the new compensation plan.
"The value to the strategic session is that it allows the board to see the future needs of the town, therefore, we can plan accordingly," said Town Manager Sean Medlin.

LOUISBURG -- NC State legend Dereck Whittenburg is known either for one of the greatest passes or most fortuitous shots in college basketball history.
Earlier this week, though, he was lauded for one of the best assists to the Leonard family here in Franklin County.
He presented the family of his former teammate, the late Quinton Leonard, with a plaque recognizing his place on that 1983 national championship squad, celebrating the 40th anniversary of a moment that has essentially become linked with the term March Madness.

Franklinton, NC--Flora Jane Mitchell Zandlo, 83, died Monday, March 6, 2023.

LOUISBURG, NC--Jean Doris Engler of Louisburg, NC, formally of Ewing, NJ and Stuart, FL, died on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at her home. Born in Trenton NJ, she was the daughter of Claude W. and Ann Scudder MacDaid.

Dr. John Richard "JR" Ball, 93, died February 28, 2023. He was born on December 18, 1929 in Franklin County to the late Matthew C. "Buck" and Pearl Ross Ball. In addition to his parents, Dr. Ball was predeceased by, his wife, Joretta Devinney Ball.

Louisburg, NC-- Elizabeth Perry Gupton Stallings, 91, of Louisburg passed away on March 1, 2023 .

LOUISBURG, NC-- Kirk Edison Faulkner, 75, of Louisburg, passed away Monday afternoon, March 6, 2023 at WakeMed surrounded by his family.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Betty Jean Ray Johnson, 68, of Franklinton passed away on March 2, 2023. She was born on March 27, 1954 in Red Springs, NC to the late James and Eunice Bounds Ray.