Recent Articles

ZEBULON - Doris Painter Driver, 87, of Zebulon, died Saturday morning, Sept. 12, 2020. A graveside service was held Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Baptist Tabernacle Church cemetery.

ZEBULON--Jonte' Phillip Lewis, 29, of Zebulon died Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.

YOUNGSVILLE--Henry "Butch" Young, 75, of Youngsville died Monday Sept. 14, 2020. A private graveside service will be held at the Beulah Christian Baptist Church cemetery.

NASHVILLE--Funeral services for James Edward Dales, 53, who died Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, at 11 a.m. in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Entombment will follow at Rocky Mount Memorial Park, Rocky Mount.

NASHVILLE--Funeral services for Ralph G. Tucker, 84, who died Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. in the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Tilman Lynch Cemetery, Hollister.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County looks to be coming under new management.
On Tuesday night, County Manager Angela Harris announced her intent to retire -- effective Nov. 1.
It will conclude more than 30 years of public service.
Harris, who began working for the county as a social worker in September 1989, said serving as county manager was always her dream job.

LOUISBURG -- Reduced restrictions and a long holiday weekend, health officials said, could be a recipe for increased COVID-19 numbers in a couple of weeks.
Already, Franklin County has more than 1,100 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, contributing to 30 deaths.
"Previous announcements [of less restrictive phases] prior to long weekends, such as Memorial Day and July 4, resulted in huge spikes in cases, two to three weeks later," County Health Director Scott LaVigne told county commissioners during their board meeting on Tuesday night.

LOUISBURG -- Wayne Kabat and other veterans received a cold shoulder when they returned from the Vietnam War -- an unpopular conflict.
This past weekend, a chapter of the national Quilts of Valor Foundation provided Kabat and two other veterans with handmade quilts and a warm reception, recognizing their service to the country.
"It's always an honor for us to honor our veterans," said Sharon Bormann, group leader of the Grateful Quilters of Mooresville.

LOUISBURG -- The clerk of court has asked that two judges recuse themselves from hearing a case that could determine whether or not she keeps her job.
A hearing on the matter is set for Sept. 10.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge John Dunlow suspended Patricia Chastain from her position on July 13 after Louisburg attorney Jeffrey Scott Thompson petitioned for the move, alleging, among other things, that Chastain overstepped her authority on a number of occasions, ran an office that had questionable financial accountability and suggested her erratic behavior might be attributed to substance abuse.

YOUNGSVILLLE -- Town commissioners have expanded the time limits for amplified sounds, giving the town's nightlife a shot in the arm.
By a 3-2 vote last month, the board agreed to extend to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, the time that amplified sound is allowed beyond a certain decibel level.

Dylan Terry, 9

LOUISBURG -- The county airport's advisory board met Tuesday for the first time in six months, hearing from its director about the continued growth and expansion opportunities ahead.
That growth will pose challenges, as pointed out in the first draft of a master layout plan designed to guide Triangle North Executive Airport's growth over the next two decades.

FRANKLINTON -- Police are looking for a suspect in a Friday night shooting.
The injuries to the 44-year-old victim were not life-threatening.
According to authorities, the victim pulled up to the In & Out gas station on N.C. 56 in Franklinton at about 9:40 p.m. on Aug. 4 and began talking with someone outside the store.

Hate to admit it, but I'm jealous -- and of somebody in Nebraska, of all places.
More specifically, I'm jealous of the reporter who covered a recent town council meeting in some place called Lincoln.
Town council meetings -- as you know if you've attended many -- are not the place you go for five-star entertainment.
Reporters are usually day-dreaming of something more exciting happening, like maybe the chance to watch paint dry or grass grow.

COVID-19 has claimed another casualty.
According to the History Channel's website, 19 terrorists hijacked four airplanes, carrying out suicide attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York.
A third plane hit the Pentagon, just outside the Nation's Capitol.

UPCOMING MATRIMONY. Camdyn Gilliam would like to announce the approaching marriage of her mother, Lerin Gilliam of Louisburg, to Brad Harris, also of Louisburg. The bride-elect is the daughter of Pamela W. Gilliam of Louisburg and the late Larry Gilliam. The groom-elect's parents are William and Angela L. Harris of Louisburg. An October, 2020 wedding is planned to be held in Henderson.

LOUISBURG -- The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Louisburg College as a 2019 Tree Campus USA® for its commitment to tree management and green initiatives.
This is the third consecutive year the college has received the designation.
"Our campus is enriched by our incredible green spaces and landscapes," said Nathan Biegenzahn, Associate Vice President of Facilities at Louisburg College.

Artists in all disciplines are eligible to apply for grants to support their professional and artistic development through a partnership of the North Carolina Arts Council and the Franklin County Arts Council, Vance County Arts Council, Halifax County Arts Council, and Warren County Arts Council.
Artist Support Grants will be distributed to eligible applicants by the Franklin County Arts Council in the following counties: Warren, Vance, Halifax, Northampton, Granville, and Franklin counties.

RALEIGH -- His own health has proven to be Ricky Person Jr.'s greatest adversary during his football career at North Carolina State University.
Person, a junior running back, has missed portions of each of his first two seasons at NC State due to injuries -- but has still managed to make a significant impact for Head Coach Dave Doeren's club.

Ricky Person Jr. was exceptional as a freshman and sophomore in high school for the Franklinton Red Rams under the direction of former coach Jeremy Buck.

RALEIGH -- During the COVID-19 epidemic, especially in lockdown phases, it would have been easy for North Carolina State University running back Zonovan 'Bam' Knight to kick back and rest a bit on his lofty freshman laurels.
After all, Knight quickly established himself as an elite-level runner in the Atlantic Coast Conference as a true freshman.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- What will happen next?
In the uncertain current COVID-19 world, that is what Franklin County athletic directors and coaches are wondering as classes are being taken virtually -- but the school playing fields are still empty.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association recently released a plan outlining the new dates and possible return times for each of its member sports.

Southern Nash High School's Zonovan 'Bam' Knight is one of the greatest football players in recent memory in the always-strong Big East Conference.