Recent Articles

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Most pundits felt like the 2021 baseball season would be a rebuilding one for the Bunn Wildcats -- but it didn't quite turn out that way.
Instead, the Wildcats were in contention for the Northern Carolina Conference Championship until the final week, when they were defeated by eventual league title winner Roanoke Rapids and Class 1-A State Semifinalist Granville Central.

FAYETTEVILLE - Brandon Knarr totaled a career-high 11 strikeouts while turning in his first career quality start, Zavier Warren homered, doubled and reached base five times and Ernesto Martinez went 2-for-4 with a triple as the Carolina Mudcats earned an 11-4 Independence Day victory over the host Fayetteville Woodpeckers at SEGRA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina University's 2021 football season will kick off September 2 with a night game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the neutral site of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
ECU's first home contest will be September 11 versus Southeastern Conference opponent South Garolina at historic Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville.

Katie Allen at the Alert Fourth of July Parade

IT WAS A TIE for first-place in the Alert Fourth of July parade last Saturday. In the entry above are Wayne Smith and Aubree and Graycen Bowling.

SPRING HOPE -- Authorities were searching for a missing Franklin County man this week.
Bobby Clay Bridges, 35, of 563 Williams Road, was last seen on July 6 around 4:30 p.m.
He was wearing an orange t-shirt, camouflage shorts, camouflage headband, black shoes and black socks.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Tony Burnette Williams, age 67, who died on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, will be held on Saturday, July 10, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Mary Helen Jones Cemetery.

Betty Jean Duke Holmes, 88, of Youngsville, NC, died Saturday, June 26, 2021 at her home. She was born in Franklin County, the daughter of the late Timothy L. (T.L.) and Priscilla Duke and was a member of Youngsville Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir. She was married to Maryland Holmes, who preceded her in death. She enjoyed working in her yard and flowers and was a great wife, mother and grandmother.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Robert Boyd Choat, 56, of Louisburg, died on Saturday, July 3, 2021. He was born in Forsyth County on July 19, 1964, the son of Mae Marie Money Flippo.

Janet Lynne McAbee, age 59, died after a long battle with cancer on June 25, 2021. She is the daughter of the late James Benjamin McAbee, Sr and Yvonne "Dixie" Hutto McAbee Hobgood.

LOUISBURG, NC - Glenn Kohlberger, 69, died on Wednesday June 23, 2021, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Terry Knight, three daughters, Jessica Kohlberger (Nadeem) of Corona Delmar, CA; Annalise Kohlberger of Laguna Niguel, CA; Heather Kohlberger of Baltimore, MD and two stepsons, Stuart Knight (Jocelyn) of Golden, CO and Michael Knight of Naples, Fl.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Brenda Tuck Brooks, daughter of the late Charles Berry Tuck and Nell Puryear Tuck was born on April 3, 1946, and passed away at Wake Medical Center on June 23, 2021, at the age of 75.

LOUISBURG -- If a former Wake County couple wins their lawsuit against the town of Garner, they could try to bring two dogs responsible for killing a seven-year-old and injuring her mother to Franklin County.
Joseph and Amanda White filed a complaint in Wake County Superior Court on Tuesday, petitioning the courts to release their two dogs. A hearing to keep Garner from killing the dogs by July 3 is slated for today.

From left, Grace Hendrix, Karen Nowell, Ricky Nowell and Keith Nowell enjoyed the fireworks display from the Franklinton Middle School football field. The town's Stand Up For America event featured food, music and the fireworks last Sunday.

FRANKLINTON -- Unless a group of nearby residents petition the superior court, developers could break ground and open a Dollar General at a busy intersection in about a year.
On Monday, the county's Board of Adjustment granted a conditional use permit, paving the way for Glandon Forest Equity LLC to build the discount retail store at the intersection of Pocomoke Road and N.C. 96.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners had the second of three closed sessions this week in their efforts to tab a new town administrator.
Phil Cordeiro announced during the board's May 13 meeting that he was trying to create a better work-life balance and that he was resigning, effective July 30.
Cordeiro said he'd assist the town in its search and the board has already had a closed session for personnel matters on June 17.

Nathan and Mila Moreschi

Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute will be coming to the JPAC at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 9. Originally scheduled for April 2020, this show will make its long anticipated appearance after being delayed several times by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Rumours is the country's premier Fleetwood Mac tribute band. Based in Atlanta, Rumours captures the energy of Fleetwood Mac at the height of their career by blending harmonies, instrumentation, and an engaging stage show.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Authorities are looking for suspects in a series of vehicle break-ins.
The morning of June 28, more than a dozen residents just outside the Youngsville area, along Bramble Court, Thornwood Lane, Baron Circle, Thistle Drive and Thornwood Lane, reported that someone broke into their vehicles and, in some cases, stole items.

LOUISBURG -- A superior court judge approved a consent order that would relocate a Franklinton family into a bat-free apartment.
Further resolution to Sharon Jones' lawsuit seeking at least $25,000 in punitive and other damages remains pending before the court.
Superior Court Judge Alma L. Hinton's decision came following a June 1 hearing in Franklin County Civil Superior Court.

LOUISBURG -- Investigators continue to delve into the motive for a shooting that left a husband and wife dead.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies responded to Owens Park the evening of June 26 to find Leonardo Puchaicela, 65, and Karen Puchaicela, 61, dead from a gunshot wound, each.

LOUISBURG -- Hertford County sheriff's deputies arrested a Louisburg man on charges of death by distribution.
Louisburg investigators allege George Lamont Perry, 24, sold drugs that led to the June 7 overdose death of Luther Coley Jr., 31, of Bunn.
Louisburg Police Chief Jason Abbott said officers responded to three separate calls of drug overdoses on June 7.

Sometimes it seems that writing a weekly newspaper column is like banging your head against a brick wall.
Okay, a lot of the time!
But here we go again -- and it's a topic we've revisited many times over the years, but a story in an area newspaper lit that fire again.
The story in the Butner-Creedmoor News focused on the Granville Museum -- a growing organization -- and tourist attraction that is becoming a go-to destination.