Recent Articles

About 16 months ago, in this very column, I wrote how sneaking about, hiding information and thumbing your nose at those trying to get it could wreck a political career.
Boy, was I wrong.
Back in the spring of 2015, it was revealed that former Secretary of State and, now, presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was using a private email account to conduct official business.

A lot of bad things happened in the closing days of the General Assembly's short session.
HB1080, the Achievement School District Act, was among them.
On the surface it sounds like an "apple pie type" bill. Upon closer review, it is simply another way to siphon education dollars to private, for-profit and, often, out-of-state entities.

Dear editor:
I read, with total agreement, Carey Johnson's recent column concerning the need for higher level mathematics and science courses at the high school level.
However, from my past experiences, there are good reasons why advanced courses in math and science are not always offered.
First, university graduates majoring in the fields of mathematics and science do not opt to teach.

HAPPY AND SAD. The folks in Alert weren't so lucky as you can probably tell by the picture of Melanie Bobbitt (above) because rain forced cancellation of the event for the first time in history. But don't worry, they are already planning their annual Christmas parade!

FRANKLINTON - William Kenneth "Ken" Edwards, 80, died Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at the Durham VA Medical Center. The family will receive friends at Lancaster's Franklinton Chapel, 504 E. Mason St., Franklinton, on Thursday, July 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 8, with burial following at Fairview Cemetery.

LOUISBURG--Ernestine "Tine" M. Gupton, 49, died Monday, June 26, 2016 at Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson. A memorial service will be held Friday, July 8, at 1 p.m. at Lancaster Funeral and Cremation Services Chapel with the Rev. Bobby Thomas officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.

YOUNGSVILLE--Evelyn "Ebbie" Maurice Woodlief Allen, 81, died Saturday, July 2, 2016 at Duke University Medical Center. A funeral service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, July 8, at Youngsville Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dr. Chuck Stratton officiating. Burial will follow in the Youngsville Town Cemetery.

RALEIGH--John A. Christnacht, 93, died Saturday, July 2, 2016 at Duke Raleigh Hospital. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.

LOUISBURG - Mary Green Ratliffe, 74, died Saturday at Rex Hospital.

CASTALIA - Funeral services for Alma Collins Alston, 61, who died Thursday, June 30, 2016, will be held Thursday, July 7, at 2 p.m. at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Castalia, with the Rev. Clarence Cooper officiating. Burial will follow in the Brown family cemetery in Littleton.

RALEIGH - Joan Mary Collins, 95, passed away on May 26, 2016 at Sunnybrooke Nursing and Rehab. She lived in Franklin County and retired to Sunset Beach, N.C. where she lived for 25 years.

Before we jump into other subjects, here's a question to ponder on these hot, humid summer afternoons.
The recently approved budget for Franklin County creates 16 new county government jobs.
The recently approved Franklin County Schools' budget eliminates 24 teaching positions -- and because the county trimmed the schools' request even more, there could be more teachers cut to make the numbers work.
Those are the facts.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's fall election will feature some out-of-nowhere contests for commission seats.
Three people successfully petitioned the county's Board of Elections to run as unaffiliated candidates against incumbents in District 1, District 3 and District 5, respectively.
"In my tenure here," said Board of Elections Director Lisa Goswick, "we've never had this many petitions.
"It's very unusual."

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners have approved a special use permit, clearing the way for a Henderson developer to build an apartment complex for the elderly.
The board unanimously approved the plan, waiving the town's higher parking space requirement as the only real change to the project.
The town's building code, said Town Manager Tammy Ray, would require that Dennis Tharrington develop the 60-unit independent living elderly apartment complex with 90 parking spaces.

LOUISBURG -- Public art, a bit of local history and a touch of economic development efforts all melded together last Thursday evening on the Louisburg College campus -- and will soon be a focal point of downtown Louisburg.
At a meeting hosted by the Louisburg Historic Neighborhood Association, college professor Will Hinton and one of his students, Julius Shumpert of Raleigh, shared their almost-completed Louisburg Opera House mural.

From journeyman to master, it's been quite a journey for a Franklin County native and earning that master designation recently was the culmination of a long-time dream.
Earlier this month in Atlanta, NC bladesmith E. Scott McGhee attained his American Bladesmith Society (ABS) Master Smith certification.
ABS Master Smith candidates must be Journeyman Smiths for at least two years, pass a difficult performance test using a pattern-welded steel knife of original manufacture, and survive a critical review of their work by a panel of seven discerning ABS Master Smiths.

Residents looking for ways to celebrate the nation's independence will have a number of options in and around Franklin County over a two-day period -- and maybe more.
Franklinton, Franklin County and Wake Forest all have Independence Day activities set for July 3.

Teddy Cooke and Jamaal Epps

LOUISBURG -- A family friend is hoping a seven-year-old murder case that was dropped two months after charges were filed can gain new life.
Sheriff's deputies arrested James F. Romine shortly after they allege he shot and killed his wife, Natalie Romine, the evening of March 29, 2009.
According to the case file, prosecutors dropped the case in May 2009 after a witness, the woman's daughter, told authorities that the shooting was an accident.
The case was dismissed without leave, which generally means that prosecutors don't have permission to amend or refile the complaint.

LOUISBURG -- A man who led police on a chase was arrested on drug charges.
According to a report, officers attempted to stop Joseph Hicks Jr. the evening of June 27, but he led police on a vehicle chase.
At some point, Hicks exited the vehicle and led officers on a foot chase in the 600 block of Kenmore Avenue before officers caught him in the area of the Main Street Mini Mart in the 700 block of Main Street.

Alela Burrell, left, and Vanasia Lynch, right, helped Alayshia Whitley with a dress she made during a two-week summer camp in Franklinton.

LOUISBURG -- The county's multi-million dollar emergency radio system is moving closer to completion, county staff said.
Franklin County contracted with Virginia-based Harris Corporation in 2010 to revamp and improve the county's emergency radio communications system.
The $11 million system, though, has been plagued by dropped calls and garbled audio since the county began using it in October 2012.
In April, with the aid of an emergency radio system consultant out of Louisiana, the county and Harris agreed to a plan that county staff said would fix the system by the end of the year.

LOUISBURG -- On June 30, the end of the current fiscal year, local government organizations are closing out the current year and preparing their final budget numbers to start the 2016-17 fiscal year on the right track. Commissioners approved a $76 million county budget last Monday and the school board is scheduled to close out its 2015-16 budget at its meeting this afternoon (Thursday, June 30).
According to Superintendent Pascal Mubenga, the district is in a good position thanks to the support of commissioners and the community.