Recent Articles

Franklin County sheriff's deputies are investigating a rape allegation.
The girl's father reported the incident to authorities on Sept. 11. It's alleged to have occurred in another jurisdiction, though.
During the time frame, the girl spent time in Raleigh, Knightdale and Spring Hope.
The case remains under investigation.

There is a lot more to the annual Justice Tractor Show than tractors. In the photo above are (left to right) Tyler Pollock, Nancy Ball, Larry Joyner, Irene Layton, Jimmy Layton. There also was homemade ice cream, other foods, an auction and tractors, tractors, tractors.

Members of the Louisburg Lions Club welcomed District Governor Barbara Beltran for dinner and discussion in the Alumni Room at Louisburg College at a recent meeting. The group meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m., and visitors are always welcome. Lions are known as "knights of the blind," focusing on programs and services for the blind and visually impaired.

LOUISBURG -- Although interest in Franklin County as a potential site for a new industry has increased recently, the county lost two possible industries in recent weeks because it lacks critical infrastructure, according to Richie Duncan, the county's economic development director.
In a nutshell, the missing infrastructure is sewage service to the county's industrial park east of U.S. 401 near the Franklin County Airport -- and the cost of not having it in place appears to be substantial.

LOUISBURG -- First responders rushed a Louisburg man to the hospital after he was pulled from a submerged truck Tuesday afternoon.
Motorists, including Franklin County Sheriff's Office Maj. Rudy Baker, foreground, with arm bandage, came upon the wreck on Clifton Pond Road at about 5:30 p.m., to find Terry L. Pearce stuck in his overturned truck in the waterway.
Baker, another man and a fireman were able to pull Pearce from the water.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Commissioners agreed to award its town hall/police department renovation bid to a Wendell company.
G&G Builders' bid came in at $253,000 -- $53,000 higher than town guestimates -- but they were the lowest bidder.
And Police Chief Darin Kirts said he got a good recommendation from Rolesville where G&G handled a police department/town hall renovation there about two years ago.

Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly created a school bonus fund that exempted teachers entirely but was set up to be distributed under a formula adopted by local school systems.
Franklin County received a one-time payment of $95,295 and, on Monday night, its director of Human Resources, Dannie Williams outlined a method of selecting those would receive the extra money.

Amanda Brewer and Joette Weaver provided music for the 9/11 ceremony on the Franklin County Courthouse steps, singing the National Anthem. Franklinton Police Chief John Green Jr. provided the keynote speech, while Franklin County Firefighters Association President Jim Pearce also provided words of encouragement. Association Chaplain Donnie Yeatman provided the prayer for the event.

FRANKLINTON -- Stopping Tarboro High School's high-powered T-formation offense has proven to be a daunting task for area football teams through the years as the Vikings have racked up their share of state championships.
But when Tarboro is also able to pick up a trio of special teams touchdowns, chances are it's going to be a long night for the Vikings' opponent.

LOUISBURG - Few Franklin County prep coaching acts have been as hard to follow in recent years as Jonathan Waugh's tenure as the Louisburg High School tennis coach.
Through dedication, skill and hard work, Waugh helped build LHS into a small-school court area powerhouse before leaving last winter to become a teacher at Green Hope High in Wake County.

LOUISBURG -- Thanks to a single phone call, the course of volleyball history at Louisburg High School changed dramatically back in 2005.
That's when LHS alum Erica Wammock was prepared to start her first full-time job at Selma Middle School after graduating from East Carolina University.
But Wammock also longed to return home, and her wish was granted when she received a call from then-LHS principal Chris Blice.
Wammock started teaching at LHS and was the JV spike coach in her first year.

HENDERSON -- Northern Vance threw a bit of a scare into Bunn by scoring the first touchdown of last Friday's non-conference football showdown.
But the Wildcats quickly regained their composure and were dominant the rest of the way en route to securing a 47-7 road victory at the NVHS Field.
Bunn broke a one-game losing skid with the convincing triumph and, in the process, improved to 3-1 overall on the campaign.
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to respond to Northern Vance's (1-3) early score.

LOUISBURG -- Hope Solo might not have approved, but Louisburg College's defense-first, conservative strategy resulted in a key Region X women's soccer victory last Saturday.
Knowing opponent Spartanburg Methodist College was blessed with plenty of skill up front, LC coach Andy Stokes elected to stop the Pioneers first, and then take whatever offense his club could generate.

BUNN -- Coaches often use the non-conference portion of their boys soccer schedules to gauge a club's progress -- especially when playing an opponent twice.
Coaches are always encouraged when a team posts a better outcome than an initial meeting with a foe -- and that was the case last Thursday for the Bunn Wildcats.
During an earlier showdown with Northern Nash, Bunn controlled the proceedings, but was still only able to win by a 1-0 margin.

OXFORD -- Louisburg High School's first victory of the 2016 football season was one to remember as the Warriors won a back-and-forth shootout with host Oxford Webb last Friday night.
Louisburg running back Tyre Davis had a big night as the Warriors earned a 48-40 triumph at Oxford Webb.
Louisburg, which was coming off a bye week, improved to 1-2 overall with the hard-fought contest.

ZEBULON -- Jordan Edgerton broke a scoreless tie in the ninth stanza with a walk-off double scoring Dylan Moore while lifting the Carolina Mudcats to a 1-0 season finale victory versus the Winston-Salem Dash at Five County Stadium last Monday afternoon.
The Mudcats (52-87, 23-46) finished the Class A Carolina League baseball season with a five-game winning streak.
The Mudcats closed with a 4-0 mark in September and also collected their third series sweep of the year.

HENDERSON -- The Vance-Granville Community College women's volleyball team is 6-0 to start the 2016 season.
After a scrimmage on Aug. 22 versus the JV squad at St. Andrews University, the Vanguards officially began the regular season with a weekend of contests on the road in three states.
First, VGCC played Piedmont International University in Winston-Salem on Aug. 26.

BUNN -- After some early-season growing pains, the Bunn High School volleyball squad has started to come together under veteran head coach Henry Jones.
The Ladycats are now 7-5 overall and 4-1 in the Northern Carolina Conference after earning a home victory Tuesday over NCC opponent Southern Vance at the Bunn Dome.
Scores were 25-10, 25-14 and 25-12 in favor of the victorious Ladycats.

Bunn High School's Tyler Hornick prepares to send a blast toward the net during last Thursday's home boys soccer decision against the Northern Nash Knights.

The Tar River Festival held its first ever 5K this year. The winner of the race was Baretta Exley, a member of the Franklinton High School cross country team.

Brianna Ledoux does her best Miley Cyrus impression and plays with an inflatable wrecking ball, one of the children's entertainment setups at the festival in downtown Louisburg and Riverbend Park on Saturday.

ANCIENT CRAFT. John Overby (top, lighting a fire) and Bryan Avery (above) were demonstrating the making of tar, pitch and turpentine during the Tar River Festival. Those materials were vital to the shipping industry in the 18th and early 19th centuries and are still used in a variety of ways today. They demonstrated how those materials were extracted from long leaf and loblolly pine trees.

MUSIC IN THE PARK. Music echoed through Riverbend Park Saturday as part of the River of Yesteryear demonstration. Performing here are (from the left) Emily Best, Anita Fuller and Heidi Best.