Recent Articles

A group of runners, including Franklinton's Nicholas Payne at far right, speeds away from the finish line at the Big East Conference Cross Country Championships.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- With Franklinton's Class 3-A enrollment numbers continuing to rise and Louisburg poised to be one of the smallest Class 2-A schools, it was realistic to think that Franklin County's three high schools -- Franklinton, Bunn and Louisburg -- would ever be in the same conference again.
But that's a potential scenario following last week's First Draft realignment release by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association for the 2021-25 four-year span.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg High School has announced several changes to its 2020-21 volleyball schedule.
The Lady Warriors' slate for the remainder of the campaign will be as follows, with home matches listed in CAPS:
• December 22 -- ROANOKE RAPIDS
• December 23 -- at South Granville

Irene Bullock celebrated her 100th Birthday on Friday, Dec. 11, at Franklin Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Louisburg. The highlight of her day was watching her birthday announcement on the "Today Show." Her family also had a drive-by celebration planned in her honor.

FRANKLINTON--Berklin Crudup Jr. died Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. His life will be celebrated during a graveside service at 1 p.m. Saturday Dec. 19, at Popes Chapel United Church of Christ cemetery in Franklinton.

WAKE FOREST - Sydney Edward Bailey died Sunday Dec. 13, 2020. Private memorial service planned.

FRANKLINTON-- Graveside services for Benita Jacqueline Ruffin, 52, who died Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, will be held Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. at Mitchiner's Grove Baptist Church cemetery in Franklinton, with the Rev. Melvin Jackson officiating.

FRANKLINTON--Graveside services for Roberta Jones, 98, who died on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, will be held Thursday, Dec. 17, at 2 p.m. at Concord Missionary Baptist Church cemetery in Kittrell.

LOUISBURG - Sara Dawn Hight Dickens, of the White Level Community, passed away Friday, December 11 peacefully at Duke Raleigh Hospital in Raleigh after a courageous battle with colon cancer.

LOUISBURG--Sherry Mercer Edwards, 70, of Louisburg, entered into eternal life Tuesday, December 8th after a long battle with a debilitating disease.

LOUISBURG--Dr. Jasper Burt "J.B." Perdue, Jr., age 82, of Louisburg, passed away on Friday, December 11, 2020 at his home after a brief period of declining health.

LOUISBURG - Ronnie Grey Martin, 69, went home to be with the Lord Friday afternoon at Rex Hospital after a brief illness. He was born in Franklin County a son of the late Harvey and Neva Pearce Martin. Ronnie was preceded in death by his wife, Paula Hope Speight Martin. Ronnie worked at the Franklin County Regional Airport.

LOUISBURG - Donna Sue Cash, 54, of Louisburg, left her earthly life for Heaven Saturday morning at her home.

LOUISBURG--Elizabeth Murray Tharrington, born April 25, 1929, died Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 at Louisburg Manor where she had been a resident for many years. A private graveside service will be held at Flat Rock Baptist Church cemetery, Flat Rock Church Road, Louisburg, Friday Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. She will be laid to rest beside her husband, John.

FRANKLINTON--The staff and management of Cutchins Family Mortuary & Cremations announce the death of Mr. George Lee "Skip" Pender, 68, of Franklinton, who died Wednesday, Dec. 9. 2020. No services are scheduled at this time.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Arthur Earl Hawkins, age 56, who died on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

LOUISBURG - Canuta Arsenas Yucor, 88, of Louisburg, died Thursday evening, Dec. 10, 2020, at Maria Parham Health.

RALEIGH--Bruce Lowell Jenkins Jr. passed away on December 3, 2020. He was born to Bruce Lowell and Alice B Jenkins on July 28, 1959 in Raleigh, NC.

LOUISBURG--Joseph "Joey" Mills Jr. died Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. A graveside memorial service will be held at the Allen family cemetery on Friday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m., with the Revs. John Clark and Ted Jones officiating.

In a year when positive news has been as rare as finding wisdom teeth in a chicken, a couple of stories in our last week's edition deserve special mention.
One story, at the top of Page 1, details local efforts to interest high school students in a career in emergency response jobs -- most especially as dispatchers who are the center of everything when something goes wrong.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County health workers are planning to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, but we're months away from having enough of the vaccine to cover healthcare workers, let alone the public, health officials said.
Health Director Scott LaVigne updated commissioners on the state of the pandemic in Franklin County during the board's Dec. 7 meeting, noting that there were 2,266 cases of the coronavirus, attributing for 34 deaths.

LOUISBURG -- After 120 years, Franklin County's governing board is Republican-led.
During the board's Monday meeting, commissioners selected their chairman and vice chairman, but it was not without some intrigue.
Commissioners Michael Schriver and David Bunn were selected as the board's chair and vice chair, respectively.
Their appointments were not unanimous.

Mrs. and Mr. Claus, who didn't provide their name, but were sponsored by Birkner Insurance in Rolesville, were the star attraction of Youngsville's Christmas Parade last Saturday. The parade drew a large crowd, media attention and debate about whether it should have been held in a pandemic.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County will soon have a new emergency services director.
Hendrix Valenzuela will assume the job on Dec. 14, according to Franklin County Manager Kim Denton, who made the announcement last week.
Valenzuela comes to Franklin County from Cumberland County where he served as that county's emergency management program coordinator.