Recent Articles

Might you be interested in a dramatic reading about sewer lines?
How about stop and go karaoke, where song lyrics are catered to explain how a town or the State Department of Transportation is trying to fix road woes?
How about a variation of pin the tail on the donkey, where folks try to pinpoint the best place to put varied types of residential development.
Better yet, how about an evening of trivia where you learn interesting things about town projects while drinking your favorite beverage?

The third annual Youngsville Rescue and EMS Golf Fundraiser on Oct. 7 generated much needed funds for the organization. All told, 17 teams participated, along with business owners, sponsors, and volunteers to help raise $19,000 for additional supplies and equipment the county is unable to provide. Golfers had a chance to win $20,000 for a hole in one and all in attendance were treated to a barbecue meal provided by EMS and beverages were donated by Burnt Barrel and Yacht Club Beverage House.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- A host of Christmas activities are slated for nearly every corner of Franklin County, starting this Saturday with a Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Franklinton.
The following is a set of activities, listed by town or community.

LOUISBURG -- Senior Greenleigh Gleason has enjoyed an exceptional career as a member of the Louisburg High School volleyball team -- and that tenure has been topped off with spot on the prestigious North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association's Class 2-A All-State Team.
Gleason, a middle hitter known for her outstanding work on both offense and defense, was one of just 12 performers selected to the squad.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats have announced a new holiday-themed ticket package featuring a Mudcats' knit cap and 10 undated box seat ticket vouchers for just $100.
This limited quantity offer is available while supplies last.
Orders can be placed online at carolinamudcats.com, by calling (919) 269-2287 and by visiting the Five County Stadium front office.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Only one Big East Conference team remains in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's State Football Playoffs -- the Northern Nash Fighting Knights.
Northern, coached by Andrew Farriss, punched its ticket into the fourth round on the Class 3-A level last Friday with a tough 21-14 victory over the Southern Durham Spartans in third-round action at Death Valley on the NNHS campus.

When it came time to pull together all the items that were to be given away for the Thanksgiving holiday, this group hit the ground running. Shown here -- after at least some of the work was done -- are (left to right) Darnell Edwards, Geraldine Manley, sporting her traditional Thanksgiving turkey hat, Abram Liles, Charles Worth and Kelli London. The group helped prepare 400 packages of food and other necessities that were quickly given away a few days before the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Even though it was a Saturday morning -- and volunteers had been working since 6 a.m. getting ready -- this trio of volunteers was happy to begin reaching out to community members with some much-needed assistance -- and from the looks of this photo, some fresh-from-the-garden collard greens. Shown here are (from the left) Rev. Rosemary Cooper, along with her grandchildren Kevin Monroe and Gracelynn Wilder.

Don't let the gift giving season sneak up on you.
The holidays are right around the corner, and, chances are, your bank account isn't ready. Well, it's never too late (or too early) to get your finances in order and start saving for the holidays--and you don't need to take drastic measures either.

Christmas Eve is viewed differently by different people, even those who live under the same Santa-ready roof. Adults may see Christmas Eve as crunch time when they must prepare food for the next day or set up presents for their children to open in the morning. Children, on the other hand, are focused on Santa's visit and little else.

Millions of people across the globe feel that the holiday season is a magical time of year. Though those people come from all walks of life, it's likely that no group is as taken by the unique spirit of the holiday season as much as children.
Whether they're looking forward to Santa's arrival or preparing for a school holiday pageant, kids have much to be excited about come December.

Hops and Holly, the annual fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club generated more than $15,000 in sponsorships and ticket sales. The annual event pairs some of the area's best food vendors with breweries and wineries in the area for a spirited evening. The organization uses those funds to provide after-school program support to youth and teens attending the Boys and Girls Clubs' Franklin County operations. The money, organizers said, will ensure that club members have access to academic and career building programs that foster good character and, ultimately, improve lifestyle choices. In the photo above, Misty Williams and Joel Hayes showcase the event's sponsors.

RJ McCarthy's new book, Uplift: Sunrise Stories, is a collection of 11 short stories meant to uplift the spirit of the reader, the author said.
McCarthy writes, "in a time of global pandemic, environmental disaster, political upheaval, and war, art forms that underscore the upside of life have the potential to lift spirits weary from the daily onslaught."

Sometimes it takes a megaphone just to get folks' attention and sometimes a great big smile does the same thing! Getting organized and ready for the big pre-Thanksgiving food donation are Roslyn Thomas, left, and on the right is Dr. Felecia Hardy. The group of volunteers, determined to make the Thanksgiving holiday a bit happier for their friends, managed to pull together a huge stack of food and necessities - and reached out to about 400 families. The volunteer effort was held at Blessings Resource Pavilion on South Main Street in Louisburg.

November is National Diabetes Month. This year's focus is on managing diabetes by building your health care team.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. It affects about 37 million Americans, including adults and youth. Diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, and is linked to some types of cancer.

YOUNGSVILLE, NC--Alex G. Alexander Sr., age 93, of Youngsville, died Friday, November 18, 2022.

YOUNGSVILLE, NC -- Vance Rubin Rogers, 52, of Youngsville, passed away on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. He was born to Mr. Rubin "Ronnie" Rogers and the late Mrs. Laverne Atkinson Rogers.

WARRENTON, NC--Betty Jean Wiggs Gordy, 82, of Warrenton, died Saturday, November 19, 2022 at her home. Born January 13, 1940, Betty was the daughter of the late William and Dunnie Frances Wiggs.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Jessie Milton Woods, age 79, who died on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022 from the Rocky Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Sidney Dunston officiating. Burial will follow in the Rocky Chapel Church Cemetery.

Admittedly, I've never been much of a card player, so my knowledge of such things is minimal at best.
But I always thought that a deck of cards had four aces.
Yet last week, the Franklin County commissioners were "playing" against a deck that held at least seven aces.
And, my guess is that no matter how they play that hand, they are in for a major challenge.

LOUISBURG -- Hard to believe, but Louisburg High School's acclaimed Football Class of 2024 has just one more collective season of eligibility remaining.
It seems like just yesterday when those players were eighth-graders at Terrell Lane Middle School, leaving the Tornadoes to an undefeated campaign that was capped by a Middle Athletic Conference Championship.

LOUISBURG -- If Friday's canvass reflects Nov. 8's unofficial results, Franklin County will swear in a new commissioner and sheriff in December.
District 2 County Commissioner-elect Roxanne Bragg is ready to get started.
"This is my home county and I want what's best for the county," Bragg said following her election-night win over incumbent Cedric Jones. "I feel like because I am a local person, I have a lot of knowledge of the terrain and the people and I can research all the issues ... and make informative decisions."

LOUISBURG -- Stepping up to the podium last week, Army vet and educator Lashonda Harris delivered the county Veterans Day keynote address for a friend.
Friendships, Harris said, are at the core of military service and have helped soldiers, for generations, cope with its rigors.
She decided to make it a key component of her address to the hundreds of veterans who gathered inside the Louisburg National Guard Armory for the county's Veterans Day ceremony.

Larry Keeler directs the Louisburg High School band through military favorites.