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STANHOPE - Southern Nash appeared to be well on its way to a convincing victory over Louisburg last Friday in Big East Conference boys basketball action.
But LHS' Jordan Durham had other ideas.
Southern Nash still got its decision, but not without a bit of a late scare from the Warriors, thanks in part to the heroics of Durham.

Louisburg's Jordan Durham eludes the Southern Nash defense during last Friday night's contest.

FRANKLINTON -- Through three contests, a trio of clubs are undefeated in the Big East Conference's boys basketball standings -- and one of them is a bit of a surprise.
Certainly, it isn't a shock that defending champion Rocky Mount and ultra-talented Southern Nash have made it through the league to date without a loss.

STANHOPE -- One team was destined to gain a feel-good victory last Friday -- and that club would prove to be the Southern Nash Ladybirds.
In a battle of squads with winless records coming in, the Ladybirds used a furious full-court pressure defense to take charge early en route to gaining a 63-44 triumph over the Lady Warriors in Big East Conference girls basketball action at the historic SNHS Gymnasium.

DURHAM -- North Carolina State University baseball head coach Elliott Avent was named the 2021 USA Baseball College Coach of the Year last Thursday.
This is the second national honor in his coaching career (the first coming in 2003), and the second award he has received after the Wolfpack's historic 2021 season, as he was named the ABCA/ATEC Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year honor back in July.

Mrs. Eugenia Strickland Edgerton celebrated her milestone 100th birthday, Dec. 17, 2021.
She was born December 17, 1921, in Louisburg, NC.
After graduating high school, she married Lewis Edgerton, and from this union were born 15 children; 27 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and two great-great-great-grandchildren.

CASTALIA, NC--Funeral services for Charlie "Bud" Williams, age 71, who died on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, will be held 2 p.m., Monday, December 27, from the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Marcus Dunston Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in the Mt. Moriah Church Cemetery.

HENDERSON -- Mrs. Evelyn Medlin Reese, 79, of US 158 Bypass, died Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at her home. Born June 17, 1942 in Baltimore, MD, she was the daughter of the late Eva Davis Medlin and Elmo Allen Medlin. Evelyn was a member of West End Baptist Church for over forty years and was proud to say "I've read the Bible again from cover to cover." She retired from the Warren County School System after teaching in both Vance and Warren County high schools and held her National Board Teachers Certification. Evelyn loved teaching and being a positive influence on her students. Between teaching in Vance and Warren Counties, she sold real estate at the former Wester Realty Company.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Kathleen Bee King, 87, of Franklinton passed away on Monday December 20, 2021 at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. She was born in Wake County daughter of the late Benny and Daisy P. Perry. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Jack King; daughter, Commie Wilkes; sisters, Pauline P. Perry, Irene P. Medlin and Edith M. Dickerson; a brother, Bennie Gray Perry.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Gwendolyn (Gwen) Elizabeth Perry Holden 75, Franklinton, the daughter of the late Carlton and Mary Perry of Franklin County, North Carolina, passed away Thursday, Dec. 16 in Raleigh, NC.

YOUNGSVILLE, NC--Funeral services for Keeble Davis, age 43, who died on Saturday, December 18, 2021, will be held 2 p.m, Tuesday, December 28, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Jamel Brodie officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for David Thomas Woodard, age 76, who died on Friday, December 17, 2021, will be held 11 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 23, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Douglas Harris officiating. Burial will follow in the Haywood Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Elaine Person Ellis, age 90, who died on Thursday, December 16, 2021, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, December 20, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Bobby Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in the Shiloh Church Cemetery in Kittrell.

HENDERSON, NC--Funeral services for George Plummer Person, age 78, who died on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, will be held 1 p.m., Tuesday, December 21, at the Ransom Way of the Cross Church in Henderson with Bishop Michael Ray Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Ransom Way of the Cross Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Charles "Jeff" Jeffrey Britt of Franklinton, NC, passed away on December 3, 2021. Born in Robeson County on Nov. 11, 1960, Jeff is survived by his partner, Loren Barrett, his mother Grace Bass Britt of Lumberton, his father Charles Bryan Britt of South Carolina, his brother David Bryan Britt (Shara) of Graham, two sisters, Teresa Dawn Lippard (Barry) of Huntersville, and Christi Lynn Britt of Asheville. Jeff is also survived by his nephews - Joshua Britt, Garrett Britt, and Matthew Britt of Graham, and Cameron Beverly of Huntersville, and his great nephews - Gavin Atkinson, Caiden Britt, Landon Britt, and Adrian Britt, plus a host of other special relatives, friends, and work colleagues and customers with Nixon Family Restaurants in Edenton.

LOUISBURG -- COVID-19 is the virus that just won't go away -- and neither will the masks which offer protection, albeit imperfect, from infection.
Again this week, the Franklin County Board of Education voted to continue the school district's mask mandate for all schools -- and they did so on the same 4-to-2 vote as the mandate was extended in November.
Meghan Jordan and Debra Brodie, voted to end the mandate but the rest of the board vetoed that and continued the mandate for the foreseeable future.

Santa Claus was chillin' and relaxin' last Saturday during Alert's Christmas Parade on Saturday, obviously resting up for his big night on Christmas Eve. Apparently trying (unsuccessfully) to talk him out of giving away all those toys was the Grinch, who shared the float. Some observers said Santa bore an uncanny resemblance to Stacy Harpel and that the Grinch might have looked a little like Cindy Cassidy, but you can be the judge of that.

If there was any doubt that little Autumn Bullock, 4, and her buddy, Kimberly Hayes, are ready for Christmas, those decorations and huge smiles should make it clear they are absolutely ready for Santa's annual visit. In the meantime, they were enjoying the Alert Christmas Parade last Saturday.

Little Grayson Rife, who is almost 2, was enjoying all the activity surrounding the Bunn Christmas Parade on Saturday, especially the candy "rain" that was landing all around him. Also enjoying the event were his mom, Alyssa Wells and dad, Tyler Rife.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County Schools employees who stick with the system will be getting a bonus soon thanks to unanimous action taken by the Board of Education Monday night.
The board approved a Longevity Bonus Plan for the district's eligible staff that is to be in place for at least the next three years.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's emergency responders asked commissioners to hold off, again, on choosing who installs a new emergency radio system.
Commissioners listened.
The board agreed to wait until their Jan. 3 meeting before deciding how it will address its emergency radio system needs.

LOUISBURG -- Primary election filing was suspended last week as the State's Supreme Court expects to hear challenges to newly drawn election districts.
As a result, the primary has been pushed back from March 8 to May 17.
And, filing, which opened on Dec. 6 and was slated to run through Dec. 17, has been suspended.

LOUISBURG -- A Spring Hope man made an initial appearance in court this week on arson and fraud charges.
Agents with the State Department of Insurance allege Gabriel Paul Ingino set fire to a house on S. Church Street in Louisburg and then tried to commit insurance fraud.
The 34-year-old had an initial appearance in Franklin County District Court on Dec. 13. He waived assignment of legal counsel.

Mallory Sutton in the holiday spirit

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Arts Council put a ceremonial bow on its Gallery on the Hill this month with a ribbon cutting.
The Arts Council has been at its 99 S. Bickett Boulevard location for some time now, but its services had been shuttered because of the pandemic.
On Dec. 3, the Arts Council held a grand re-opening, complete with a Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting, along with some Holiday Open House hours.