Recent Articles

Newborn Emery Caroline Lee

Margaret Weathers Brantley, 86 of Wake Forest passed away on Wednesday July 21, 2021. She was born in Wake County the daughter of the late Newton Weathers and Beatrice Weathers Wall. She was preceded in death by her husband; Hurley Brantley, Sr. and a brother; Paul Weathers.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Funeral services for Hermon Lee Crudup, age 92, who died on Monday, July 26, 2021, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021 from the Shady Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Shady Grove Church Cemetery.

HOLLISTER, NC -- Funeral services for Charlie E. "Buck" Richardson, age 82, who died on Friday, July 23, 2021, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 29, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Robert Hedgepeth officiating. Burial will follow in the Pine Chapel Memorial Garden Cemetery.

BUNN, NC -- Richard Charles Marchese, 63, of Bunn, died Sunday, July 11, 2021. He was born on August 22, 1957 in Queens, New York a son of the late Arthur and Marion Marchese.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Alvin Michael "Mike" Morton, 76, of Franklinton, passed away on July 25, 2021. He was born on August 9, 1944 to the late Elmo and Thelma Dickerson Morton. In addition to his parents, Mike was preceded in death by his wife, Brenda Merritt Morton; a son, Michael Todd Morton; and brothers, Thomas Elmo "Tommy" Morton, and Steven Brent Morton.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Darrel Glenn Leonard, 86, of Louisburg, died at his home on Friday, July 23, 2021. He was born on August 29, 1934 in the Red Bud community of Franklin County to Joseph Payton Leonard and Betty Gupton Leonard, both deceased. Darrel was also preceded in death by his brother, Douglas Leonard, and sister, Maggie Leonard.

Marlen Eugene "M.E." Burnette, 95, of Louisburg, passed away peacefully on Thursday evening in his home. He was born in Franklin County, son of the late William Busbee Burnette and Fannie Morton Burnette.

Lola Belle Parrish was born on August 1,1932 on a small farm near the town of Louisburg in eastern North Carolina. Her parents were Archibald and Mary Alice Hubbard Parrish, who had seven children. Lola's brother, Archie Perry Parrish and her sisters, Virginia Ruffin P. Zuercher and Ida Stuart P. Perdue predeceased her. Surviving are sisters, Alice Faye Hunter of Louisburg and Nancy Jean Long of Sacramento, California and brother, Allan Parrish of Louisburg.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for Sherman "Cannon Ball" Cannady, age 63, who died on Friday, July 22, 2021, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31, 2021 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Elder Sylvester Cooke officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

HOLLISTER, NC -- Funeral services for Vearna Dean "Jenny" Richardson, age 66, who died on Friday, July 23, 2021, will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 28, 2021 from the St. Gideon Baptist Church in Hollister with Pastor Hieley Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Gideon Church Cemetery.

A Memorial and Celebration of Life for Matt (11/9/87 - 8/7/20) will be held Saturday, August 7, 2021 at Lancaster Funeral Home, Louisburg, NC, from 2 p.m. - until.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Ray Edward Beaman, 85, of Louisburg, passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 in Raleigh. He was born September 25, 1935 in Greene County, a son of the late Paul and Mattie (Albritton) Beaman. Along with his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Bettye Beaman in 1995.

RALEIGH, NC -- Funeral services for Hershal L. McCurn, age 74 who died on Sunday, July 18, 2021, will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, July 26, 2021 from the Bethany Community Church in Wake Forest, NC. Burial will follow in the Town of Wake Forest Cemetery. Rev. Timothy Johnson, officiating.

LOUISBURG -- A Louisburg family escaped injury late last week when a fire ripped through their attic.
A cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Louisburg Fire Chief Randy Lanham said occupant smelled smoke but could not find the source while they were inside.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners offered words of warning to one Internet provider and offered another some cash if they follow through on plans to bring service to unserved sectors of the county.
First, Open Broadband Chief Technology Officer Kent Winrich updated commissioners on the progress they've made to provide wireless broadband service to unserved and underserved parts of the county.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners approved an animal services amendment to protect residents against deadly dogs.
The July 14 ordinance change was prompted by the apparent desire of a newly transplanted Garner family that wants to bring their dogs here.
Two dogs killed seven-year-old Jayden Henderson and mauled her mother, Heather Trevaskis, at a home in Garner on April 27.

LOUISBURG -- In an unusual move Monday night, the Louisburg Town Council agreed to provide free rental space to a non-profit group -- and then agreed to commit $182,000 toward that group's operating expenses.
The group is called R!ot (the spelling is correct), which says its goal is to "encourage and develop innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship."

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners gave Maria Parham an extra month to decide if it will extend the free lease for its emergency department and mental health facilities.
In September 2017, the county and Duke Lifepoint -- a Maria Parham partner -- entered into a two-year lease that brought an emergency department, mental health facilities and related services back to Franklin County.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County Manager Kim Denton has confirmed that the delay in Franklin Plaza's construction has been due to availability in materials.
It's been four months since the last update on the $2.2 million renovations to Franklin Plaza office space the county is leasing and The 120-day construction window has now passed.

Baseball fan EJ Doyle

LOUISBURG -- The municipal filing period ended at noon Friday with a crowded field for Louisburg mayor, the Franklinton Board of Commissioners and some other town boards.
In Louisburg, incumbent council members Boyd Sturges and Christopher Neal have filed for the mayor's seat, a post that's up for grabs after incumbent Mayor Karl Pernell opted not to seek re-election.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners agreed to contract with a Wake Forest company to complete its long-awaited downtown improvement project.
The three-part project will be a total go when Franklin County signs off on its portion of the project, a water/sewer upgrade, to be done in tandem.
County commissioners are expected to take up the matter during its Aug. 2 meeting.

WAKE FOREST -- A Youngsville man is slated to appear in court next month on charges of child sex crimes and kidnapping.
Wake Forest Police arrested 63-year-old Raymond Leonard Mancini on July 17, a day after they allege he assaulted an 11-year-old girl in a Walmart on S. Main Street.
Officers responded to the store just before 10 p.m.