Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County continues its efforts to bolster pickleball opportunities.
During the board's most recent meeting, leaders were urged not to leave other recreational opportunities on the sidelines.
"... My question to you guys is: What are you going to do next?" Louisburg resident Ryan Wegener asked commissioners during the public comment portion of their March 18 meeting.

FRANKLINTON -- Commissioners agreed to petition the state to reduce the speed limit on one of the town's side streets.
Officials and residents who live along S. Chavis Street hope the move is a life-saver.
Since at least 2021, residents have expressed concerns about speeding along S. Chavis Street, a narrow two-lane road off of Mason Street/N.C. 56.
Those concerns have increased as more development has been approved for that corridor.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County stuck close to home, hiring a Louisburg native as its staff attorney.
Cooper Bolton will assume his duties on April 1.
"I am excited to join the dedicated team at Franklin County to assist with legal matters and do my part to improve the community where I grew up," Bolton said in a press release.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County has its next parks and recreation director.
KP Kilpatrick, who has nearly two decades experience with athletics and recreation management will assume the post on April 1.
"I can't wait to get started here in Franklin County to be a part of the great things going on in the Parks and Recreation Department," Kilpatrick said.
Kilpatrick comes to Franklin County from Wake Forest, where he has served as athletic program specialist since 2018.

If you read last week's edition, and, if you're here now, I assume you did, you know that I promised a lot of news in this edition.
Well, I spent several days pouring through my notes to cash a check that my big mouth wrote.
It's all here, including an update on the back and forth, but this time, not so contentious, emergency radio tower in Bunn.
To be honest, I've never heard about a single property having two different zoning requirements, but apparently that's the issue at the Bunn High School site.

Dear editor: In these days of division, name calling, and hatred spewed from all manner of media, it is wise to remember what is important in this week before the unthinkable brutality of the crucifixion.

North Carolina State Senator Lisa Barnes, wife of Barnes Farming president Johnny Barnes, has asked for a clarification involving a recent news story that ran in The Franklin Times.
The story, which was published in the March 21, 2024 edition, reported that Barnes Farming of Spring Hope was the subject of a North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) probe after the death of seasonal worker Jose Arturo Gonzalez Mendoza last September.

It was a busy weekend in Franklin County with several Easter egg hunts. Above, Easter egg hunters take off at the beginning of the Bunn Easter egg hunt.

Bunn cornhole participants Easton Herd (left) and Peyton Blackwell have fun.

Above, Joyce Mangrum helps her niece Stephanie Williams hunt for eggs in Franklinton.

Katie Warren holds up a prize after the Easter egg hunt in Bunn while her Mom, Kimberly Warren, holds six month old Luke.

YPD Administrative Specialist Tanya Cash provides fun for Grayson Poole and Elianna Musser while Lindsay Poole looks on.

YOUNGSVILLE -- When new officers complete the department's field training program, they are tasked with presenting a new program to bolster community service.
If town commissioners follow through on Officer Drew Cox's proposal, the department would have an eye in the sky.
Cox's project would provide the department with two unmanned aerial vehicles -- drones -- to aid in law enforcement efforts.

BUNN -- Bouncing back from a defeat is one of the most challenging aspects in the development of a young softball team -- and that was the dilemma the underclassman-dominated Bunn Ladycats faced last Monday afternoon.
One game earlier, Bunn had been topped by perennial powerhouse Southern Nash in a Big East Conference showdown, so it was imperative that the Ladycats got back on track quickly during their next matchup -- a home contest against the Rocky Mount Lady Gryphons.

FRANKLINTON -- As a new pre-game tradition, members of the Southern Nash High School softball team have taken to sharing slices from a jar of Mount Olive's finest for a final in-dugout burst of energy.
Inevitably, it doesn't take long before the Ladybirds' overmatched opponents find themselves in a pickle of their collective own.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Rocky Mount's girls squad is continuing its long-time dominance of the Big East Conference Track and Field scene, while the RM boys are seeking a return to past greatness.
Those were the two biggest takeaways from last Wednesday's Big East Tri-Meet between Bunn, Franklinton and the homestanding Gryphons at the RMHS Football Field.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Franklinton and Nash Central were the main showstoppers this winter in the Big East Conference girls basketball scene -- but there were plenty of other storylines in the always-tough league.
Franklinton did not lose against a Big East foe this winter en route to claiming the conference's regular season and tournament championships.

CARY -- North Carolina's brightest sports stars will compete in the fastest-growing sport in the country at the North Carolina Pickleball Pro-Am on April 6 from 2-3 p.m. at Cary Tennis Park.
Tickets for the Pro-Am are available at ppatour.com and TIXR.

WAKE FOREST -- Site may have been different, but the result was once again the same last Wednesday at the latest Big East Conference Boys Golf Match.
This was the first trip of the season for the Big East to the Brevofield Golf Links in Wake Forest, with nearby Franklinton serving as the host for the 18-hole match.
Defending champion Roanoke Rapids -- the heavy favorite to repeat in 2024 -- was once again the team winner as the Yellow Jackets cruised to the top spot with 333 total strokes.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats have announced that single-game tickets are now available for purchase for the upcoming 2024 season at Five County Stadium.
The team has also announced its full promotions schedule featuring 16 total fireworks shows, new nightly promotions, nine souvenir giveaways and more.

Franklinton High School's Kaylei Main tries to tag Southern Nash's Noel Dobbins at second base.

Franklin County Relay for Life volunteers Cornelius & Mildred Cheatham

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners made two and a half pronouncements on Monday.
They told a roomful of property owners that they would be crafting a revenue neutral budget, at least.
They told property owners to appeal out-of-whack tax assessments.
And, they asked their attorney if Franklin County can delay revaluation by a year, comparing neighboring properties within the county to see if properties have been fairly valued.

LOUISBURG -- The controversial idea of creating a "white flag" shelter to provide a warm, safe place during short-term drastic weather emergencies, especially cold, had both supporters and foes during a public hearing on the matter Monday night.
In the end, the Louisburg town council took no action on the issue, which has been pending for several weeks, and the consensus of those who spoke is that more research on the idea is needed.