Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council had barely gotten organized and begun the meeting Monday night when "battle lines" were drawn over a relatively minor issue.
That issue was the possible creation of a "white flag shelter" that would be used very occasionally to provide safe shelter for the homeless or others facing dangers from bad weather, either frigid cold like what just blanketed the area or searing heat in the summertime.

BRING THE NOISE. The 66th Allen de Hart Concert Series at Louisburg College season rolls into 2024 on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. with DRUMline Live. This show is an international tour based on the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching band tradition. With riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy, this stage show is a synchronized musical showcase of the HBCU experience. DRUMline Live incorporates original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of top 40 hits.

CARRBORO -- Putting together four quarters of solid basketball is one of the greatest challenges a young basketball team faces -- and it was evident last Friday when the underclassmen-dominated Louisburg Warriors traveled to tangle with Carrboro High School in a key Northern Lakes Conference boys basketball showdown.
For one half, the Warriors lived up to their lofty potential with a brilliant 16-minute performance.

CARRBORO -- For one quarter, Louisburg High School found the formula for cutting a taller Carrboro team down to size during last Friday night's Northern Lakes Athletic Conference girls basketball showdown at the CHS Gymnasium.
But the homestanding Lady Jags were able to use their extreme height advantage to pull away in the second half en route to securing a 61-38 decision over the Lady Warriors.

RED OAK -- Girls wrestling is still in its infancy in the Big East Conference, but there's already an established team to beat.
And that would be the Bunn Ladycats.
Bunn rolled to the Big East Conference Individual Championship last Saturday at the historic Northern Nash High School Gymnasium.
The Ladycats dominated with a whopping six golds to go with two silvers at the annual event.

ZEBULON -- In advance of the upcoming 2024 season at Five County Stadium, the Carolina Mudcats are now hiring part-time game day staff and seasonal full-time trainees across various departments including stadium operations, video operations, promotions, marketing, ticketing, merchandise and concessions.
Available seasonal full-time openings include inside sales trainee, box office assistant, stadium operations trainee, concessions manager. food and beverage trainee and promotions assistant.

RED OAK -- Bunn may still be the three-year king of the Big East Conference Dual results, but another club was coronated last Saturday at the league's annual
Individual Tournament.
And that squad would be Southern Nash, which claimed the title at the Northern Nash High School Gymnasium.
The Firebirds led the way with 210 total points, followed by Bunn at 195 tallies.

County Chamber of Commerce 2024 Chairman of the Board Zach Coyle

Growing your own transplants from seeds can give you a head start on planting or the opportunity to plant whenever you would like. In many cases, it gives you the opportunity to grow a special cultivar (variety) of a plant or vegetable that you cannot purchase at garden centers.
When purchasing seeds make sure you purchase only enough for one year, or have plans on how you will store those leftover seeds. A seed's germination percentage decreases with age.

Louisburg, NC--Doris Dell Murphy Aycock, 100, of Louisburg went home to be with the Lord on Friday, January 19, 2024. She was born on October 26, 1923, to the late R. Hoke and Annie Cooke Murphy. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband John Daniel Aycock and sons, Donnie Ray Aycock and Michael Jay Aycock.

Franklinton, NC -- Funeral services for James "Boot" Bobbitt, age 67, who died on Sunday, January 21, 2024, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 27, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Bernard Allen officiating.

ZEBULON, NC--Phyllis Shepherd Young, 58, of Zebulon, died January 11, 2024. She was born to Dorsey Shepherd III and Frances Knox Shepherd in Wake County, NC on March 13, 1965.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Patricia "Pat" Gilliam Scott, age 77, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, January 9, 2024. She was known as "Fay" by her family.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Marianne Brewer Mitchell-Fuller, 83, of Louisburg, died Wednesday evening, January 17, 2024.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Memorial services for Juan Carlos Black, age 47, who died on Saturday, January 6, 2024, will be held on Saturday, January 20, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Donald Debnam officiating.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Recent poor weather has wreaked havoc on the Big East Conference basketball schedule -- forcing makeups and busy weeks heading into the regular season finale on February 16, which will be followed by the annual league tournament.
Here are the schedules for each Big East hoops squad for the rest of the regular season (home games are listed in CAPS):

LOUISBURG -- Senior administrators at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that they and the state are investigating allegations of an inmate assault.
Officials did not release the inmates name, but Samuel Burnette's family members confirmed that he is the one making the allegations.
Burnette's mother, Fannie Cooke, said her son was assaulted by a detention officer on Monday while he was in handcuffs.
"[Burnette] said the officer put cuffs on him, drug him out of his cell and beat him to the point he had to be carried to the emergency room," Cooke said.

LOUISBURG -- An unusual Tuesday evening meeting of the Franklin County Commissioners, rescheduled because of the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, was about as routine as such meetings get.
The commissioners got a financial update from Finance Director Jamie Holtzman and an update on the county's radio system from Ken Steere from of Williams Communications and Rebecca Norwood with TUSA consulting.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners bought property -- then committed to buying more -- in their efforts to expedite a Youngsville bypass.
First, commissioners agreed to spend $293,220 to buy 6.516 acres for the bypass right of way near the intersection of Cedar Creek and Tarboro roads.
The purchase price was $45,000 an acre -- a price the town and property owners Jim and David Moss had agreed upon via option.
According to the county's website, the six parcels that are part of the purchase ranged in value from $37,500 an acre to about $12,900.

BUNN -- The town's planning board is set to consider recommending that telecommunication towers be kept out of downtown.
And, they're also set to recommend actions that will give town officials the final word on special use permits.
Finally, they're set to give the town more control over how it uses two pieces of property behind town hall.
All those matters are on the agenda for the town's Jan. 22 planning and zoning board meeting.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Joining its neighbors along the U.S. 1 corridor, Youngsville officials agreed to study the feasibility of a toll road.
Officials and staff, though, reiterated that studying the proposal is not an endorsement of a pay-to-travel concept.
In November and December, Wake Forest and Franklinton officials, respectively, adopted resolutions in favor of having the state study the concept of using toll revenue to upgrade U.S. 1 to a freeway -- from I-540 in Wake County to the Franklin County line.

Even if you've been paying only scant attention to the nation's weather map in recent days, I expect you'll agree that the eastern side of North Carolina has been a great place to be!
Somehow, at least so far, we have ducked a weather "bullet" that has ranged from driving snow, freezing rain and hurricane-force winds, all coupled with temperatures so low they often have a minus sign in front of them across much of the nation.

If you've been around this column before, especially at this time of year, you may have read something similar to what I'm about to say:
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a national holiday is an incredible opportunity to share his life and legacy with folks who may not be familiar with the man who lived a relatively short life -- from 1929 until his assassination in 1968 -- but whose impact on the world continues until this day.
Folks in Louisburg held their annual event on Monday, Jan. 15.