Recent Articles

HENDERSON -- The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men's basketball team is scheduled to play at least 28 games during the 2016-2017 season, including 11 home games.
This is the program's first season under the leadership of head coach DeMarcus Oliver.
The Vanguards compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II, which includes 11 two-year colleges in North Carolina and Virginia.

GREAT SEASON. The Louisburg Parks and Recreation 10-Under Softball Team recently wrapped up a successful Fall Ball campaign. Pictured are (back, l to r) Coach Kelly Nelms, Coach Brittany Pillar, Lindsey Lundy, Camryn Pillar, Lilly Alford, Bailey Nelms, Sommer Cooper and Coach Casey Lundy; (front, l to r) Lacey Medlin, Savannah Norris, Kendall Fosness and Haylijane Highfield. Not pictured are Shanyah Wheeless and Layla Perry.

The first Farm City Week was born in 1955 when Charles Dana Bennett, businessman from Vermont and Merle H. Tucker, chairman of Kiwanis International Agriculture and Conservation Committee, were seated together on a train headed from Chicago to Washington, D.C.
In 1955 the net farm income was declining. Farm cost, debts and property taxes were on the rise. Charles and Merle were having discussions about the poor public image of agriculture, the strong urban influence on ag policies and a growing population with no direct ties to agriculture.

4-H VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR. The award for "Volunteer of the Year for 4-H" was given to Jan Marie Potter (at right). She is a dedicated 4-H volunteer and mother. She volunteers her time and sewing skills during summer fun programs and other events throughout the year. Meg Wyatt Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development, presents the award.

Agriculture Volunteer of the Year. Russ Vollmer (left) was recognized as the 2016 Cooperative Extension "Agriculture Volunteer of the Year." Presenting the award was Charles Mitchell, county Extension director. Vollmer currently serves as the Advisory Leadership Chair for CES. He has given back to agriculture through helping educate new and beginning farmers by opening his farm for tours, speaking at Extension programs and special events.

Novozymes North America Inc. was recognized with a "Friends of Extension" award for their continued support of Cooperative Extension programs at the local and state level. Novozymes staff serve on many boards and work closely with Extension staff on many projects. Charles Mitchell, County Extension director (left) presented the award to Novozymes employee Randy Green, who accepted the award for the company.

The Franklin County Farmers Market is located in Louisburg at the Shannon Village Shopping Center. Market hours are Tuesday 9 a.m., Friday 8:30 a.m., Saturday 8 a.m. until sold out. The vendors all bring their best produce and products.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, our thoughts of what we are going to prepare for our home or what to carry to a gathering? The local farmers market offers a wide selection of fall seasonal produce. Pies, breads, jams, jellies are just right any time and even more so for the holiday table.

The holidays are near. Time to be thankful, enjoy family, friends and food. While it's great to enjoy all of the greatness that the holidays bring, it's also important to keep yourself and your loved ones safe by practicing food safety. I would like to remind you of a few tips that will help keep everyone safe during this holiday season.
Tip #1- Clean-Wash hands and surfaces often.

North Carolina markets are not what we traditionally see in the South. For the South pine prices for the major products tend to decrease in the third quarter, but in the third quarter of 2016 North Carolina landowners saw a significant increase in pine pulpwood prices, up over 15%, followed by chip-n-saw by 5%. Pine saw-timber was relatively unchanged from the previous quarter with a less then 1% decrease.

Small farms continue growing in Franklin County and surrounding counties! In 2015, a Franklin County Small Farm Association was formed to meet the demand for educational information to help members be successful and to network with one another. The popular Annual Small Farms Opportunities Conference will be held at Vance-Granville Community College, Franklin Campus in Louisburg on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Actually getting farm families to discuss estate planning for future generations can sometimes be difficult. Laws affecting estates change just about every year. To get the latest information to farm families in the region, a regional conference has been scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Louisburg at the Cooperative Extension Center from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. There will be a minimum cost to participants.

If you want to join a dynamic, energetic group, then the Franklin County Beekeepers is the organization for you! During the last Wednesday of the month, the membership, which is constantly growing, convenes at the Franklin County Agricultural Building at 7:30 p.m. and learns the latest and best practices to successfully produce and market honey (bees) and honey products.

Full name: Caroline Slater Burnette
Age: 39
Occupation: Attorney for Vance County Department of Social Services and Warren County Department of Social Services (abuse, neglect and dependency cases, child support and adult protective services).

Full name: S. Quon Bridges
Age: 64
Marital status: Married with 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren
Previous public service (ex. other town, county boards or appointments)

Feeding Franklin Inc.'s Communitywide Fall Food Drive will run through Nov. 17.
It's Feeding Franklin's first major food drive since becoming a full-standing non-profit earlier this year.
Drop-off sites are at each town hall in the county and at each library branch.
Other drop-off sites are at the county senior centers, Sunrise Biscuit in Louisburg, County Line Auto Service in Youngsville and CCB community bank in Louisburg.

Whoa! Most of us didn't see that coming!
When television personality and meteorologist Greg Fishel was announced as the featured speaker for this year's Farm City event luncheon, most of us around here groaned a little.
Even my 12-year-old son uttered an "ugh" when told who the speaker was going to be -- and he couldn't even attend since it was a school day.

Okay, you've put it off just about as long as you can.
However, if you've already voted, you don't need to read any further.
If you've voted, accept a pat on the back for doing your civic duty as an American citizen then sit back and watch the election returns and analysis over the next several days.

At the risk of piggybacking on the column above, I want to talk about social media.
But first, I want to talk about the world we inhabit.
It's weird. It's fast moving. And, it can be dangerous.
All three of those things were on display on Monday in the kind of plot that would make a "Seinfeld" writer jealous ... if that show ever delved into the truly disturbing.

The seemingly sudden, although not unexpected, arrival of fall-like temperatures should serve as a vital reminder to all of us -- a possibly life-saving reminder.
When the nights turn chilly, folks begin to fire up heating systems, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and the like.
And that sometimes means serious trouble.
Before truly cold weather arrives -- when heating options become necessities -- make sure that whatever device you're using is in a good state of repair, tuned up for the hard uses of winter and properly vented.

For many years I have volunteered at the polls advocating for candidates. Often, I stand next to others being paid for what I willingly do without pay.
I once took exception to people running for office paying poll workers. Somehow, to me, it just did not seem right for someone to seek pay for doing something by conviction they believed in. My thinking has evolved. If it is simply a job to them, then they should be paid. Fair, yes I think so, all candidates can do this.
This said, it is one thing advocating for someone, asking for your vote, and another to give voters a pre-filled out sample ballot, and tell or try to intimidate them to vote for someone. The arrogance of it, I feel has risen to a level of voter disenfranchisement.

If you are pressed for time today I will sum up my message in one succinct phrase: If you haven't already voted, please do!
That is my simple message today. I would like everyone who is legally eligible to vote to exercise their franchise.
Ballots will vary a bit around the county due to districts, but in most cases the choices seem pretty clear cut to me.
Of course someone from the opposite political philosophy may feel the same while favoring another option.

Dear editor:
How fortunate we are to have the availability of "early voting." If we did not, many of our citizens would not be able to exercise their right to vote, and our participatory democracy would be endangered. A large country such as ours should provide access to nearby polling places over a generous period of time.

Dear editor:
I have become well acquainted with the Franklin County Community Foundation. Over the past 10 years, I've witnessed it change lives and improve the quality of life in our county.
Local awards and education mini-grants made since its inception total more than $48,000!

Dear editor:
From now to Election Day, Nov. 8, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare, will be hotly debated by the Democrat and Republican candidates for president.
Republican Donald Trump has said it is a terrible law and he has vowed to repeal it.