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GETTING THE GIST OF THE GRIST. Owners of Laurel Mill, along with the Northeast Franklin Revitalization Committee, hosted an open house on Nov. 20, showing off the picturesque, historic mill and its equipment, above. Above, Northeast Franklin group member Alice Faye Hunter, right, talks with George and Judy Parrish.

RALEIGH -- North Carolina State University enjoyed one of its most memorable football moments in recent history last Friday -- and a pair of area standouts once again made key contributions to the Wolfpack's success.
Southern Nash High School alum Zonovan 'Bam' Knight and Franklin County native Ricky Person excelled for NC State during the Wolfpack's 34-30 comeback victory over rival North Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Uncertainty was a keyword for the Big East Conference football scene heading into the 2021 campaign as the newly structured, split-classification league was going to feature eight schools -- four on the Class 3-A level and four more on the Class 2-A level.
Nobody was quite sure how the season was going to transpire. But once things came into full view, it was a given that the conference was going to once again be strong on the gridiron.

FRANKLINTON -- The North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association's Class 3-A Region 3 Boys Team has quite a distinct Franklinton High School flair to it this fall -- and for good reason.
Franklinton was a dominant force in the region in 2021, going 20-5 while taking second place in the Big East Conference regular season and tournament standings.
The Red Rams have enjoyed a tremendous five-year run on the Class 3-A level out of the Big East -- a surge that doesn't seem to be on the verge of ending soon.

FRANKLINTON -- Friday night is destined to be an emotional time at the Franklinton High School Gymnasium as the town and school will honor one of its all-time favorite native sons.
Just before the FHS-Knightdale girls basketball game (around 5:30-5:45 p.m.), Franklinton will conduct a ceremony to salute long-time coach and mentor Lester Wilder with the unveiling of the Lester Wilder Court.

WAKE FOREST--Mary Jane McCutchan, 91, of Wake Forest, NC passed away Saturday, November 13, 2021. She was born April 12, 1930 in Oswego, NY to the late Martin D. Moshier, Sr. and Ann VanPatten Moshier.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Medicus E. (Med) Bragg, age 97, passed away on November 26, 2021 at his home. Med was born in the Pocomoke community of Granville County to the late Bayard L. Bragg and Norma Moore Bragg in 1924. He attended N.C. State University, but left to serve his country in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, he graduated from Wake Forest University and began work at his family's cotton gin in Franklinton. After his 1954 marriage to Louise Strother Bragg, who predeceased him in 2016, the couple moved to Washington, D.C. where he received a master's degree from George Washington University while working for the U.S. Senate Library.

KITTRELL, NC -- Edith Elaine Tanner passed away on November 11, 2021, she was born on June 29, 1973 to Edmund Davis and Mary Shorkey Tanner. Edith was predeceased by three daughters, Hannah, Anna, and Alicia Crone.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Omega Rufus Jackson, III, 81, of Louisburg, passed away November 17, 2021. He was born on October 19, 1940, to the late Margaret Ellis Jackson and Omega Rufus Jackson Jr.. Mr. Jackson was preceded in death by a sister, Betty Jo Peebles.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- George Bullock Dickerson, 86, of Franklinton passed away Monday, November 22, 2021. He was born on November 16, 1935 to the late George W. and Irma Perry Dickerson. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Marion; a brother William Dickerson; sister, Eula Mae Davis and a grandson.

CASTALIA, NC--Joanne Griffin Tharrington, 85, of the Red Bud Community, died Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at her home.

RED OAK, NC - Jack Washington Price, Jr., age 79, unexpectedly passed away on Monday, November 15, 2021. Born in Nash County, NC on October 12, 1942, he was the son of the late Jack Washington Price and Christine Vester Price. Jack said that he was fortunate to have been reared in the Red Oak Community and by parents who were dedicated to values placement and to help, as possible, those less fortunate.

Carolyn Marie Bell Blackburn passed from complications related to cancer on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at her home surrounded by her close family and beloved dog Zippa. Mrs. Blackburn was born in Louisburg, NC on April 06, 1940, to William Cleathen Bell and Nellie Pearce Bell.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services Josephine Bryant Perry, age 95, who died on Sunday, November 21, 2021, will be held Thursday, December 2, at 12 p.m. from the Shady Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Shady Grove Church Cemetery.

WAKE FOREST, NC--Funeral Services for Viola B. Holden age 101, who died on Thursday November 25, 2021 will be held on Friday December 3, 2021 at 11:00am from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel, Louisburg NC. Burial will follow in the Nelson Chapel Church Cemetery.

ENFIELD, NC--Funeral services for Willie Evans, age 81, who died on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, will be held on Tuesday, November 30, at 1 p.m. from the Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Enfield with Rev. Robert Hedgepeth officiating. Burial will follow in the Faith Missionary Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Funeral services for Lucy Greene Fogg, age 90, who died on Thursday, November 25, 2021, will be held on Sunday, December 5, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Elder Jeffrey Neal officiating. Burial will follow in the Hawkins Chapel Church Cemetery.

CREEDMOOR, NC--Funeral services for Mable Harris Wortham, age 64, who died on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, will be held on Wednesday, December 1, at 1 p.m. from the Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville with Rev. Eddie Williams officiating. Burial will follow in the Kinches Chapel Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Funeral services for Joseph S. White, age 84, who died on Saturday, November 27, 2021, will be held on Saturday, December 4, at 3 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home in Louisburg with Rev. Willie Nixon officiating. Burial will be at the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, NY following funeral services there.

Henderson, NC - Funeral services for Thomas Earl "TEN" Noble, age 57, who died on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, December 3, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Claude Perry officiating.

RALEIGH -- The Franklin County connection continued within the William Peace University women's soccer program this fall as Bunn High School graduate Rachel Alford was once again an offensive force for the Pacers.
Alford, a junior, was joined midway through the season by Louisburg High School alum Ozzy Peralta, who took over as the program's Interim Head Coach.

YOUNGSVILLE -- With the signing of the state budget, $1.8 million was primarily dedicated for Franklin County infrastructure projects.
All told, more than $23 million in infrastructure money was made available to this region in the state budget that is months overdue. The state's new fiscal year began July 1 but, in what has almost become a tradition, was delayed for more than a third of the year.

LOUISBURG -- It was Dec. 18, 1921, when a huge steam-powered locomotive chugged to the station on Louisburg's Depot Hill, clanging to a stop in a cloud of steam and coal smoke.
Chained securely on one of the train's flatcars was a huge, for the time, truck that was destined to help preserve Louisburg for many years and which now is the centerpiece of a soon-to-open fire department museum.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Commissioners tapped the brakes on an 85-acre, 362-unit residential development, hoping to get a clearer picture on traffic impacts and negotiate a sidewalk development pact before voting.
JJS Youngsville LLC petitioned the board to approve a development agreement that would allow them to build a 267-unit single family and 95-unit townhome development on 85 acres that sits along N.C. 96, adjacent to Sirchie on the east and Hampton Village to the north -- about two-tenths of a mile before the N.C. 96/U.S. 1-A split heading toward downtown.

Louisburg Electric Department employee Ryan "Stick" Murray places a holiday snowflake along Bickett Boulevard. It's part of the town's annual holiday decorations that are placed along Bickett Boulevard and Main Street through downtown. There is also a Christmas display at Riverbend Park.