Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- After one bit of discussion, county commissioners agreed to provide a Youngsville business with money to promote a fall event.
After another bit of dialogue, they decided to hold off on approving a final piece of land development at the airport that could clear the way for the development of hangars that could spur economic development at Triangle North Executive Airport.
First, the county's Tourism Development Authority recommended giving a $5,000 grant to Hill Ridge Farms to market a fall event.

LOUISBURG -- A man who apparently took his panhandling to dangerous lengths was sentenced to prison last week.
Robert Donnell Bass, 47, was sentenced to between 60 and 90 months in jail on robbery and kidnapping charges.
According to Louisburg Police Capt. Jason Abbott, a woman reported leaving the Walmart on July 18, 2015 and she was approached by a man, later identified as Bass.

Franklinton Commissioner Alvin Holden

Smith's Mower Marine Welding, located at 1149 Ronald Tharrington Road in Louisburg, held its grand opening and ribbon cutting last week. The event was sponsored by the Greater Franklin Chamber of Commerce. On hand for the event were from left to right: Brooke Allen, Bo Carson, Bobbie Jo May, Melissa Wolfe, Jamie Patrick, Allison Smith (daughter of owners), Misty Edwards, Elton Daniels, Nan Medlin, George Smith (owner), Charles Mitchell, Patty Smith (owner), Randy Green and Brenda Fuller.

FRANKLINTON -- Police arrested a Durham woman who tried to snatch the town manager's purse.
According to a report by Sgt. Bennett Manson, Tammy Ray was sitting in her car at the Cruizers gas station at about 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 1 when a woman, later identified as Lillie K. Marrow, opened her passenger door and attempted to take her purse.
Ray was able to hold on to her purse and moved her vehicle to get away.

OXFORD -- Franklin County authorities are investigating allegations of child molestation.
According to Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright, deputies responded to the Granville hospital after a 9-year-old reported to her mother that she had been molested.
According to authorities, the incident is alleged to have happened when the youngster stayed with a family member.

LOUISBURG -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a man accused of trying to set a house on fire following a domestic dispute.
According to authorities, Gregory Jackson was having an argument with his girlfriend in their Schloss Road home the evening of July 29.
The woman told authorities that Jackson threatened to set the house on fire before setting fire to rags in a hallway.
The woman, authorities said, was able to get her aunt and a three-year-old out of the house. No injuries were reported.

An acclaimed psychology professor who created a groundbreaking series of YouTube videos for students on how to study effectively is leading Louisburg College's faculty workshop Aug. 11.
Dr. Stephen L. Chew was chosen U.S. Professor of the Year in 2011 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, an award that honors the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country for teaching and mentoring.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg High School will experience a bit of back to the future as the Warriors continue to prepare for their regular season football opener on August 19 at North Johnston High School in Kenly.
Next Wednesday, the Warriors will make their second straight preseason trip to Nash Central to take part in a four-team scrimmage that will include the Bulldogs.
Nash Central is coached by Chris Lee, who left Louisburg after a successful stint to take over the Bulldogs' rebuilding program last fall.

FRANKLINTON -- Patience is a keyword as first-year Franklinton High School football coach JeVar Bransome is leading his running backs through a practice drill on Tuesday at the FHS Football Field.
The idea of the drill is to hit the correct hole, all the while following the lead work of a blocker.
Of course, that blocker probably doesn't have the speed level as the running back, so Bransome continues to stress to his players that they have to show patience while allowing the teammate to get his work done -- and clear a path to success.

LOUISBURG -- With a strong core of returnees to with a promising group of incoming freshmen, the immediate future of the Louisburg College women's soccer program looks to be in good shape.
At least that's how veteran head coach Andy Stokes sees things just ahead of the Lady Hurricanes' regular season opener against Andrew College out of Georgia.
That outing will be played on Aug. 27 at the neutral site of Spartanburg Methodist College.

FRANKLINTON -- Clennie Wilkins doesn't believe in letting up -- even when graduation takes away some of his top performers.
Wilkins challenged Franklinton High School's distance runners to increase their commitment to cross country last fall -- which was Wilkins' first in charge of the program.
The Red Rams responded by taking third place in the Northern Carolina Conference standings before finishing in fifth place in the Class 2-A Mideast Regionals.

LOUISBURG -- Ryan Sullivan's first season as the Louisburg College volleyball coach will begin Aug. 24 with a home contest against Lenoir Community College.
First serve will be at 6 p.m. at Taylor Center on the LC campus.
The Lady Hurricanes' complete 2016 spike ledger is as follows, with home events listed in CAPS:

LOUISBURG -- Town and Country's Swim Team came up with one of its most impressive victories of the 2016 campaign last Thursday evening.
That's when the Stingrays secured a solid 217-129 decision over Raleigh Stonecreek at the TC Pool.
Results from the event were as follows:

FRANKLINTON -- the annual Wade Halford and Lane Meyer Memorial Boys Soccer Jamboree will be held this Saturday at Franklinton High School.
Scrimmage action will take place on three fields -- the main stadium, the practice field and the junior varsity field.
The event will feature 40-minute matches with a running clock. Concessions will be available.
All proceeds will go to a scholarship fund in the name of former Franklinton HS soccer standout Wade Halford.

(L to R) Rachel Black and Zoey Hall-Wray are expected to be exceptional performers this fall for the Franklinton High School girls cross country squad under second-year coach Clennie Wilkins.

Bryce Marshall races toward an effective finish for the Town and Country Stingrays' Swim Team.

Franklinton High School assistant football coach (and huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan) Dave Jennings fixes a player's helmet during Tuesday's gridiron practice session.

A Franklinton High School running back secures the ball during Tuesday's practice.

GREENSBORO -- Coaches have been selected for the 2017 North Carolina Coaches Association's East-West All-Star and North Carolina-South Carolina Basketball Classic Games.
The East-West events will be played next July in Greensboro, while the Carolinas Basketball Classic will be held in Myrtle Beach on a date to be determined.
Former Bunn High School hoops coach Scott McInnes will be in charge of the North Carolina boys in the annual NC-SC Game at the Carolinas Basketball Classic.

ZEBULON -- Potomac's Matthew Crownover struck out four and held the Carolina Mudcats to just one run over seven innings while leading the visiting Nationals to a 2-1 series finale win against Carolina at Five County Stadium on Sunday night in a Class A Carolina League baseball game.
Crownover (2-4, 4.79) gave up a run in the fourth, but pitched through the seventh and helped clinch a three games to one series victory for Potomac (58-46, 24-12) against the Mudcats (42-65, 13-24).

STANHOPE -- Southern Nash High School (SNHS) has announced coaching changes for the 2016-2017 School Year.
A total of three new coaches for soccer, softball and volleyball will begin their new coaching assignments at the start of the new school year.
Carlos Barron, social studies teacher, will assume the duties of the varsity boys' soccer program as well as the girls' varsity soccer program. While at SNHS, Barron has coached varsity football, served as the Varsity Assistant Boys' Soccer Coach, and Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach.

LOUISBURG -- Eight new graduates of the Child Care Center on Vance-Granville Community College's Franklin County Campus were honored in a ceremony on July 20 as they prepared to enter kindergarten.
The students were Ava Richardson of Henderson; and Brynlee Fuller, Allison Hoyle, Keaton Onofrio, Elaina Overby, Kylie Stanley, Ruffin Stover and Nzinga Taliaferro, all of Louisburg.

Hilary Paige Patterson earned a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from East Carolina University's School of Dental Medicine during their May 2016 commencement ceremonies. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Erick Patterson of Louisburg, and the granddaughter of Debbie Edwards and the late Jimmy Edwards, likewise of Louisburg.

Mary J. Perry-Harris of Warrenton, a member of St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church, celebrated her 80th Birthday on Saturday, July 23, with family and friends at the Golden Corral in Henderson. Among those attending were her daughter, Helena Williams of Warrenton, as well as family and friends from Brooklyn, N.Y., Salisbury, Macon, Raleigh, Warrenton and Rocky Mount. Her accepted son, the Rev. Darryl W. K. Boone, along with his African family, paid tribute to the honoree from afar in Ghana, West Africa.