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ROCKY MOUNT -- The North Carolina Wesleyan College Baseball team was ranked 13th with 252 points in Collegiate Baseball's Preseason Div. 3 Poll which was released last Tuesday.
The Bishops are coming off a NCAA Regional appearance last season and a 33-win campaign overall (33-10) including 17-1 in the USA South that saw the Bishops fall in the championship game of the conference tournament.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Debora Faith Hoyle Bennett, 63, of Franklinton died Friday, December 24, 2021. She was born on December 3, 1958, the daughter of Dorothy Perry Hoyle and the late Douglas "Red" Hoyle. In addition to her father, Debora was predeceased by a son, Brian Mark Bennett.

ZEBULON, NC -- Nicholas "Nick" James Siciliano, 21, of Zebulon, died Saturday morning, Dec. 18, 2021

ZEBULON, NC -- Alice Denton Rose, 92, of Zebulon, died Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021.

ZEBULON, NC -- Patty Jean (Powell) Hart, 83, of Zebulon, NC, died 26, 2021.

CASTALIA, NC -- Funeral services for Ellis "Ace" Alston, age 99, who died on Sunday, December 26, 2021, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, December 31, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Bobby Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in the Hickory Grove Church Cemetery.

CAMBRIDGE, NY -- Funeral services for Perlie "P. J." Williams, age 68, formerly of Franklinton, who died on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, December 29 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Carl Wardrett officiating. Burial will follow in the Mitchell Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Barbara Jean Privette, age 75, who died on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Mary Helen Jones Cemetery.

CHRISTMAS IN LAUREL MILL. For the fourth year, the Northern Sportsman, Chris Edwards, and a host of generous volunteers banded together to provide Christmas gifts for nearly 300 students at Laurel Mill Elementary School in the northern reaches of Franklin County. Above, Zamari Alston gets his hands on a gift.

CHRISTMAS IN LAUREL MILL. For the fourth year, the Northern Sportsman, Chris Edwards, and a host of generous volunteers banded together to provide Christmas gifts for nearly 300 students at Laurel Mill Elementary School in the northern reaches of Franklin County. Above, Edwards talks with teacher Beth Denton.

LOUISBURG -- Monday evening was a particularly good time for Louisburg mayors -- veteran Mayor Karl Pernell wrapped up 20 years in the job and left the council meeting with an arm load of awards, including having a building named in his honor, and newly elected Mayor Christopher Neal became the town's first elected African-American mayor and during the meeting saw the town reap nearly a million dollars in grants to further ongoing projects.

Louisburg Town Clerk Carolyn Patterson presented a special award of appreciation to out-going Mayor Karl Pernell during Monday's council meeting.

Louisburg Mayor Karl Pernell (left) receives the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award that was approved recently by Gov. Roy Cooper. Presenting the award was Louisburg Council member Boyd Sturges.

Louisburg Council member Emma Stewart holds the resolution she presented in honor of Mayor Karl Pernell. Passed unanimously, the resolution names the police and fire department facility on Wade Avenue the Karl T. Pernell Public Safety Building.

Three members of the Louisburg Council were sworn in Monday night. From the left are Betty Wright, shown with her sons Keven and Tracy and daughter Dr. Andrea Wright; Council member Tom Clancy; Madison Stein, holding the Bible for both Clancy and her mother, Silke Stein. Administering the oath is Judge Allen Keith. Both Wright and Clancy were re-elected in November and Stein was elected to her first term on the council in that same election.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's health department is asking folks to get masked, get vaxxed and get tested in an effort to start 2022 in better shape than 2021 is ending.
At press time, there had been 10,772 COVID-19 cases reported in Franklin County during the history of the pandemic.

LOUISBURG -- With a resounding "pop," the ribbon officially opening Louisburg's new museum was cleanly sliced Saturday afternoon, opening a facility that showcases memorabilia from the fire and police departments as well as the former Louisburg Rescue Squad.
Doing the honors -- and cutting the ribbon with an incredibly sharpened fire axe prepared for just that occasion -- was Louisburg Mayor and former Fire Chief Karl Pernell.

FRANKLINTON -- As commissioners, the board approved a 124-unit development that will grow the town, agreed to petition the county to expand its zoning jurisdiction for another development.
As the board of adjustment, commissioners listened to a pitch from a town stalwart who wants to build a community center.

READY FOR SANTA! When the Christmas Season officially began with a tree lighting ceremony in downtown Louisburg, Santa was greeting children -- and the Tickle family's young ladies made their wishes well known. Shown here (from the left) are dad (and attorney) Lawrence Tickle, Jr., who is holding Harper, 1; Lana, 9, Aleigha, 5 and Ember, 6.

LOUISBURG ­-- Authorities arrested a Louisburg Manor employee, alleging he exposed himself to residents at the Smoke Tree Way facility.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested Cortez Norman, 30, of Rocky Mount, on Dec. 16, serving Louisburg police warrants that charged him with two counts of indecent exposure and misdemeanor stalking.

A SPECIAL DAY. Jim McNeely and Angela McNeely celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary December 18, 2021. They were married in Dania, Florida on December 18, 1961. They raised three children and have seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. They reside in Louisburg.

LOUISBURG -- Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 Governor's Volunteer Service Award.
The awards program, created by the Office of the Governor in 1979, recognizes North Carolina's most dedicated volunteers.
Each county selects up to ten individuals, businesses, groups/teams and one paid Director of Volunteers to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to their communities.

It's the eve of Christmas Eve, if you can believe that.
It's hard to believe that Santa Claus will be making his rounds in just a few hours -- and that Christmas Day looms large.
2021 has been a crazy, crazy year and despite our hopes that the COVID crisis was largely behind us, that's appearing more and more like mere wishful thinking.

Before writing this column, I peaked inside my wallet and I checked my bank account.
It looks like a whole lot of folks will be getting nothing but well wishes from me.
But, it's the thought that counts, right?