Recent Articles

The loss of another small downtown business "has been a long time coming," said its owner, Andrea Woodin.
She recently announced the closing of the Purple Dot, a Main Street business that focused on providing piercing services as well as a variety of small gifts.
"It's rough for small businesses," she said.
The main issue behind the closing was increasing local competition, especially from a growing number of tattoo shops in the area that also providing piercing services.

LOUISBURG -- Authorities arrested a Louisburg man with a decades-long criminal record they allege shot a Franklin County sheriff's deputies last week.
The State Bureau of Investigation said both the deputy and suspect were believed to have been shot.
The evening of Dec. 18, authorities allege Jermaine Anthony Branch shot Dep. Taylor Lucas before fleeing from arrest on E. River Road near George Leonard Road.
Lucas, White said, was being treated for his injuries at a local hospital.

Born in Mountainside, New Jersey, Peter lived a life defined by service - to his country, his family, and to anyone fortunate enough to cross his path.

Zebulon, NC -- Albert Garrett, age 83, passed away Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

Mebane, NC -- Funeral services for Dr. John F. Bradshaw, age 88, who died Wednesday, December 17, 2025 will be held Monday, December 29, at 1 p.m. from the Gethsemane SDA Church in Raleigh, NC.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Gregory "Action Jackson" Jackson, age 69, who died on Wednesday December 17, 2025, will be held on Tuesday, December 30, at 1 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Wardrick Family Cemetery.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Goldie Foster, age 81, who died on Friday, December 19, 2025, will be held on Sunday, December 28, at 3 p.m. from the Rowland Chapel Christian Church in Henderson with Minister Robert Lee Foster III officiating. Burial will follow in the Rowland Chapel Church Cemetery.

Franklinton, NC -- Funeral services for Wallace Wade Wilder, age 81, who died Wednesday, December 17, 2025 will be held Saturday, December 27, at 12 p.m. from the Nelson Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg, NC.

Brooklyn, NY -- Funeral services for Carolyn Harris McCoy, age 75, formerly of Louisburg, NC, who died on Sunday, December 14, 2025, were held on Monday, December 22, at 1 p.m. at the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC.

Louisburg, NC --Martha Elaine Cottrell Duke, 87, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at her home.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg United Methodist Church has opened its sanctuary for the season, offering folks shelter from the cold when it can.
It's the second year that the church has offered its church as a white flag shelter for homeless and others seeking a warm bed and meal during the fall and winter's coldest nights.
"... Last January, when the temperatures dropped dangerously low, it was hard to justify keeping our doors locked when we have a warm place we can offer for our neighbors who need shelter," said LUMC Pastor Tuck Taylor.

LOUISBURG -- Filing for the 2026 primary ends on Friday and, already, changes are guaranteed in the General Assembly.
And, a race for Franklin County sheriff is set for the fall.
On Monday, District 7 State Rep. Matthew Winslow announced that he would not seek re-election.
Winslow was first elected in the fall of 2020 in a contested race with Dr. Phillip Stover.

Last weekend put the focus on the season, leaving no doubt that Christmas is just a week away. In the photo above, Santa Claus welcomed all to the Bunn parade despite the bone-chilling temperatures and brisk winds, which his reindeer didn't seem to mind at all.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners selected their officers for the next year.
And, one is a new face and the other is fairly familiar.
Commissioner Roxanne Bragg was chosen as the board's chair -- her first time serving in that post. She replaces Commissioner David Bunn in that post.
Commissioner Michael Schriver was selected as vice chair -- resuming a post he was elected to last year.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Education was tasked with organizing for the upcoming year -- and quickly decided to keep its existing leadership in place.
The board re-elected current board Chair Meghan Jordan to another term as chair and Vice Chair Chris Perry to another term as vice chair. Both decisions came on unanimous votes.

LOUISBURG -- Auditors issued Louisburg a clean opinion on its long-overdue audit, but it did note some issues that could potentially reoccur as accountants work to bring the town's financials up to date.
Beyond that presentation, officials swore in new and returning board members to bring the council up to date.
The town and auditors have been working for months to bring Louisburg's audits up to date, as the fiscal year 2022 audit was the last one on record.

Downtown Louisburg has lost another business -- at least temporarily -- due to demolition work that is clearing the way for Franklin County's $40 million courthouse annex expansion.
The building housing Tar River Interiors at 107 West Nash Street was formally condemned by Franklin County inspectors last Saturday after they decided the structure was too dangerous to be used.

Kimberly Hayes and Aubree' Solomon at the Alert Christmas parade

Fair warning: Winter begins on Sunday!
But if you're like me, you thought it had been here for quite some time -- and should be winding down, not just getting cranked up!
I'm one of those "80 degrees and sunny" seems about right, folks, and the older I get, the less I like cold weather.
And if I never seen another snowflake, well, that would be just fine with me.

Life comes at you fast.
It wasn't that long ago that I felt young and wild and free ... making fun of the long-held human migration pattern to Florida.
You know how it goes: Folks spend most if not all of their productive work lives in colder climates, only to retire in Florida for a number of reasons, the primary of which being its warm climate.

Dear editor: As a lifelong animal lover and Professional Dog Trainer I have devoted my life to the care, concern, and development of service and assistance animals.
My experiences have taught me to appreciate animals above humans because frankly, "animals don't have a hidden agenda."
Never has this concept of the "hidden agenda" been more on my mind, than when I think about the case of Patricia Burnette Chastain and her forced removal from the office of Franklin County Clerk of Court.

Dear editor: People critical of Trump have often been accused by him and his sycophantic supporters of suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, suggesting that those who oppose him are irrational and hysterical.
Trump has applied the derisive label to Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, his former chief of staff John Kelly, numerous TV hosts, actor Robert De Niro, and even Elon Musk, when their relationship turned sour after Musk's disastrous direction of DOGE.

Dear editor: Mr. Strickland and Democrats who suffer from Trump Deranged Syndrome distort Trump's pardoning of 1,500 political prisoners, the so-called insurrectionists of Jan. 6, 2020.
The so-called insurrection that occurred on Jan. 6 was the strangest in history. The insurrectionists showed up disorganized and without weapons. Moreover, the palace guards opened the doors and let them in Some of the guards even escorted some of the insurrectionists around the building.