Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- Six Republican candidates running for election in 2020 stressed the need to preserve individual rights, human dignity, and government accountability during Franklin County Republican Party's annual convention, held in March at the Hamilton Hobgood Courthouse Annex.
As North Carolina values and responsible financial stewardship took center stage, 43 delegates were elected to represent Franklin County at the Republican's district convention.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Zebulon duo, alleging they were responsible for a drug overdose death.
On April 28, a Special Operations Group within the sheriff's office arrested Kristen Jade Bailey and Matthew James Bond, alleging they were responsible for the death of Franklin County resident Tiffany Moss.

Hello, my name is Nehemiah Judkins.
I have run track since middle school. Track is more than a sport for me -- it is my life. I love running.
My last year in high school has been quite a switch. I guess no one was ready for this. Closing school has put a strain on everybody.

Little did I know on Thursday, March 12, I would be competing in my last senior track meet.
I didn't know how much I would regret not putting my all into my last high school 100m Hurdle event. That feeling of knowing I will never get to run beside and compete with the teammates I've ran with for four years broke my heart.

The morning of March 12 was almost like any other morning.
I did all the repetitive things such as eat breakfast and get dressed for school.
This particular morning, I had to pack my Bunn High School softball uniform as I have many other mornings over the past three years.

It's been exactly 20 years since I stepped off the mound as a pitcher and walked across the stage to receive my diploma from Louisburg High School.
If you had told me then that in 20 years I'd be stepping off that same field as a coach with my players after our 4th game of the season and never returning because of a pandemic, I would've said you were crazy.

The notion of vehicle maintenance often conjures images of greased-stained hands and car hoods propped up. While professional and amateur mechanics are still no strangers to getting their hands dirty, vehicle maintenance in the 21st century also involves diagnosing issues that might arise with a car's engine control module.

Responsible vehicle ownership involves taking inventory of the automobile and ensuring it is working at peak capacity. Hundreds of parts work together to keep vehicles on the road, but quite often drivers do not look under the hood until something is amiss.
Routine maintenance is widely acknowledged as a critical component of responsible vehicle ownership, but many motorists may not know how to care for their cars.

The only noises many drivers ever want to hear coming from their vehicles are the sounds of their favorite songs blasting from their car stereos. But cars sometimes make noises that aren't nearly as inviting as music.
Noises that seem to pop up when applying the brakes can be especially scary for motorists.

STEM--Edward Manuel Varnell Jr., 71, died Thursday, April 30, 2020 at Duke Medical Center. Due to the pandemic and social distancing, services will be private.
He was born to the late Edward Manuel and Rebecca Walker Varnell. He was a U.S. Navy veteran.

BUNN--Paula Louise Robinson DeLong, 64, died Saturday, May 2, 2020. A private memorial service will be held.

LOUISBURG--Brady Thomas Stainback Sr., 93, of Louisburg died on Sunday, April 19, 2020. Funeral services will be held at a later date.

LOUISBURG--Clarence "Buddy" Newton Weathers, 68, of Louisburg, passed away on April 29, 2020 in Henderson. He was born on March 16, 1952 in Wake County, a son of the late Joe and Martha (Coleman) Weathers. He was predeceased by his sister-in-law, Peggy Weathers.

FRANKLINTON -- Funeral services for Geraldine B. Grice, 82, who died Thursday, April 30, 2020, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, 2020 from the Union Grove Baptist Church in Youngsville with Pastor Samuel Tunstall officiating. Burial will follow in the Union Grove Church Cemetery.

Harold Edward Lilly, of Wake Forest, NC departed this life on Wednesday, April 29, 2020.

FRANKLINTON - Doris Tant Radford, 91, of Franklinton, died Thursday evening, April 30, 2020 at Transitions Life Care in Raleigh.

Working quietly and mostly unseen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Franklin County a small group of workers in the county schools' child nutrition department has been preparing breakfasts and lunches for children who, during more normal times, would get those two meals at school. Rather than risk those children going hungry during this troubled time, the school system has been providing and delivering meals five days a week to various sites around the county.

LOUISBURG -- Recently unveiled COVID-19 tracking puts a Louisburg nursing center in the top 10 in the state in number of confirmed cases in a congregated living facility.
Its 18 deaths were the most at a single facility in North Carolina.
According to the most recent statistics from the State Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 100 confirmed coronavirus cases in Franklin County and 18 deaths.

LOUISBURG -- There are a few certainties about public schools in North Carolina, but many questions linger -- and may stay that way for weeks.
It is certain that public schools will stay closed for the remainder of this academic year following an order announced last Friday by Gov. Roy Cooper.
And, the governor cautioned, when (and if) schools reopen this fall they won't look the same as they did before the novel coronavirus disrupted all of planet Earth several weeks ago.

The first responder community gathered this past weekend to pay respects to Ned Lloyd. The 81-year-old was the first paramedic with Franklin County EMS, serving 13 years in that role. He also spent more than two decades as a firefighter and rescue worker, spending much of his time helping to train the next generation of first responders. Lloyd also spent 25 years with the Louisburg Police Department, part of that time as chief.

RALEIGH -- More people staying at home means fewer people traveling.
Because of that, the State Department of Transportation said they're expecting a $300 million budget shortfall for the current fiscal year -- which will impact a number of projects.

LOUISBURG -- All that was missing was a theme song, apparently.
Beginning this week, judges, attorneys and court personnel began conducting district criminal video court.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early March, the overwhelming majority of district and superior court proceedings were suspended.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Planning Board put its stamp of approval on two changes to town regulations during its first-ever virtual meeting recently.
The meeting, held as a video conference, focused on allowing apartments in the downtown business district and modifying town parking regulations for some very small businesses.

Don't know about you but most mornings these days I wake up feeling normal -- but that quickly changes and before the shower stops, I feel like we're all in a movie where aliens have taken over our planet and nothing makes much sense anymore.
It's really strange ... and every day seems to go a bit further off the rails.