Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- Almuth-Raschel Thornton remembers stuffing herself in her car, draped in a winter coat and huddled under several blankets -- using warming packs to keep her feet warm.
Still, those nights in the teens were lonely and frigid.
For more than a year, Thornton called her car her home -- an escape from an abuser that placed her life in danger.

LOUISBURG -- A grand jury refused to indict a Lake Royale man on murder charges.
Authorities presented the case to the citizen group this week, alleging that Shannon Anderson shot and killed Michael Cahoon inside Anderson's Pawnee Drive home the evening of Aug. 20.
Lake Royale authorities responded to the home in the gated community to find the 69-year-old Cahoon dead from a gunshot wound.

Full name: James D. Gailliard (challenger, Democrat)
Age: 51
Occupation: Pastor, Word Tabernacle Church

Name: Jeffrey L. Collins (Incumbent, Republian)
Age: 60
Occupation: Financial Consultant

Full name: Stuart May (Unaffiliated)
Age: 58
Occupation:

Full Name: Sidney E. Dunston (Incumbent, Democrat)
Age: 72
Occupation: NC Department of Corrections Chaplain, Retired

Full name: Joseph Glenn Swanson (Unaffilated)
Age: 66
Occupation: Contractor

Full Name: John Milton May (Incumbent, Democrat)
Age: 66
Occupation: Tele-communications Technician, Retired

Full name: David Williams (unaffiliated)
Age: 40
Occupation: Chief Financial Officer Focus Design Builders

Full name: Michael S. Schriver (Republican)
Age: 45
Occupation: Small Business Owner/General Contractor

Full name: Shelley Leonard Dickerson (Democrat)
Age: 42
Occupation: Assistant Clerk of Court, Warren County

Full name: Danny Lewis Pearce (Republican)
Age: 64
Occupation: Broker/Owner - Pearce Realty Inc.

Full name: John P. McNeil (Democrat)
Age: 48
Occupation: Attorney, Mediator, Small Business Owner, and Farmer

Full name: George Holding (Incumbent, Republican)
Age: 48
Occupation: Attorney

Full Name: Chad Barefoot (Incumbent, Republican)
Age: 33
Occupation: Vice President of Advancement at Louisburg College

Full name: Gil Johnson (Democrat)
Age: 54
Occupation: Retired Air Traffic Controller

Full name: Bobbie J. Richardson (Incumbent, Democrat)
Age: 66
Occupation: retired education administrator for exceptional children, Vance County Public Schools

Full name: William Duke Hancock II (Republican)
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired U.S. Marine Corps; Aviator (CH-53 helicopter)

Franklin County residents will have a few options to celebrate Halloween.
Bunn, Louisburg and Youngsville will allow trick or treating on Monday, from 6-8 p.m.
Franklinton will allow it from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Shortly after that, the town will host its Halloween on Main festivities, including a costume contest, dancing and other activities.

A grand jury indicted a former police officer on sexual assault charges.
The grand jury returned a true bill of indictment this week against Jason Tate after agents with the State Bureau of Investigation allege the former Franklinton Police officer and Franklin County sheriff's deputy assaulted an 18-year-old girl during the early morning hours of Aug. 7.
According to authorities, the woman reported that she and Tate were at a house party in Franklin County when an incident that gave rise to the investigation occurred.

Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a New York duo on drug charges.
Christopher J. Nieves, 22, and Meliek D. McCall, 23, both of Brooklyn, were arrested on Oct. 7 and charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
McCall was additionally charged with maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for the sell of a controlled substance.

Union Bank & Trust Company, which operates a bank in Louisburg, has announced that Thomas M. Combs, who had been president and CEO, has left the company.
Combs told the board of directors that he was considering ending his employment with the company to pursue other avenues of interest. He voluntarily left the Company effective Oct. 11.
John Burns, who had been the company's chief credit officer and senior executive vice president, has been made acting president and CEO.

BUNN -- The Bunn Wildcats weren't about to let Unicorn Lightning strike twice in the same season.
During an earlier-season boys soccer meeting with North Carolina School of Science and Math, the Wildcats lost a lead in the second half and settled for a tie with the Unicorns.
Monday's rematch at NCSSM -- with first place in the Northern Carolina Conference at stake -- featured a similar scenario, albeit with a much different outcome.

STEM -- With first place in the Tar-Roanoke Athletic Conference at stake, the Louisburg Warriors stayed with host and defending league football champion Granville Central for one period last Friday.
But the Panthers would pull away in the second stanza en route to defeating Louisburg by a 33-17 margin at the GCHS Football Field.
Granville Central is now 3-5 overall and 2-0 in the TRAC while holding the inside track toward a league title repeat. Louisburg dropped to 4-4 and 2-1.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton's key standings swing game with Roanoke Rapids went into the fourth quarter with the outcome yet to be determined.
But the visiting Yellow Jackets, bolstered by short fields due to FHS turnovers, would be able to pull away late to earn a 28-6 decision over the Red Rams in Northern Carolina Conference prep football action last Friday night.
Roanoke Rapids is now 8-1 overall to go with a 2-1 mark in the NCC, which is good enough for a second-place tie with South Granville.