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LOUISBURG -- A rest home surrendered its license after state and local inspections revealed it failed to properly care for residents and allowed the building to deteriorate to the point that power was nearly shut off.
After a series of issues, the State Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) in February banned Essex Manor Assisted Living Facility from admitting or re-admitting residents.

For a little while Monday afternoon, the children, seated mostly on the floor of the Edward Best Elementary School gym, were talking quietly, creating a soft "buzz" of conversation.
Then, after a subtle gesture from teachers stationed strategically around the room, the children fell silent. So silent you almost could have heard a pin drop.
All eyes turned toward the entrance to the gym and a moment or two later, school Principal Geoffrey Hawthorne appeared in the doorway, looking a bit puzzled for a moment as the room erupted in cheers and applause.

LOUISBURG -- A former Louisburg College football player has filed a lawsuit against a former teammate, former coach and the college, itself, alleging they were all responsible for injuries he sustained that required surgery.
Durham attorney Martin Horn filed a complaint Sept. 18 on behalf of William Easter, alleging that a former teammate, John Wheatley, assaulted him inside his dorm room just after midnight on Sept. 24, 2012.

FRANKLINTON -- Ray Gilliam resigned his post as a town commissioner, citing health concerns, ending his service to the town that had spanned more than 20 years.
"It has been my great honor to serve alongside you over these last four years, so it is with some sadness that I must inform you that I will not seek re-election in the upcoming election and am resigning my seat as town commissioner, effective immediately," Gilliam wrote in a letter to commissioners that he handed to Mayor Elic Senter on Sept. 27.

County resident Reggie Brake

A lifetime of covering local politics has taught me a few things.
I understand that when some politicians say up, they really mean down.
And when they say yes, they often mean maybe.
Plus, when they say something needs a little more study, they mean its headed to the trash bin, never to be seen again.

There are those who say that if you don't learn from history, you're destined to repeat its mistakes.
Perhaps Franklin County and its communities could take a page from the past and fashion a successful approach to solving critical problems.
If you're a certain age and have a good memory, you might remember something called Federal Revenue Sharing.
It was created in 1972 by a unique display of cooperation between desperate Democrats and desperate Republicans and it helped solve some of the problems faced by America's communities..

When I was a kid, there were all sorts of tactics used to get us to eat our food -- particularly those dreaded vegetables.
On Saturday mornings, Popeye would tell us all that he was strong to the finish cause he ate his spinach.
I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fitness training he got while serving in the Navy.
The Jolly Green Giant would appear on screen with a big smile, encouraging us little folks to try some corn, or green beans of some other icky veggie.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a great opportunity to depart from politics for a moment to cast light on two other problems plaguing Franklin County and every other community in America: domestic violence and sexual assault.
Just a few months ago our community was shaken for the 12th time since 2005 when one of our own lost her life in a domestic violence incident.
Franklin County is fortunate to have Safe Space headquartered in Louisburg under the direction of Executive Director Monica Kearney.

Dear editor: Who "dropped-the-ball" in the care/upkeep of the Franklin County Health and Human Services Building?
The $336,939 to remedy the health problem should come from the salary/salaries of those responsible in their job descriptions. Why should the taxpayers suffer financially and also pay the county manager more than the governor of the state of NC to take this responsibility?
What a crock of foul odor this presents as well as a serious health hazard for innocents who come to work each day or come for help in the 'health' dept.

HOLLISTER - Funeral services for Anna Rene Richardson, 83, who died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Pine Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Robert Hedgepeth officiating.

LOUISBURG - Malcolm N. Martin Jr., 78, died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Zebulon Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON -- Few fans in attendance -- if any -- figured that Granville Central and Franklinton would combine to register just one touchdown during Monday's non-conference football showdown.
The clubs have a history of playing high-scoring games in the past, and both squads once again boast a variety of skill-position options this fall.
But defense would rule the proceedings on a rainy night at FHS, with the visiting Panthers needing just a single tally to slip past the Red Rams by a 7-6 margin.

FRANKLINTON -- What was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Franklinton Red Rams could very well feature a possible run at another Northern Carolina Conference boys soccer championship.
Franklinton shared the league title last fall and reached the third round of the Class 3-A State Playoffs with a senior-dominated group.
After the graduation of so many standouts, it was unsure how the Red Rams would fare in 2015 under new head coach Bert Woodburn.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College's strong start has been noted by voters in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Football Poll.
The Hurricanes, coached by Trevor Highfield, are ranked 16th in the latest poll following a decision Sunday against the Huntingdon College Junior Varsity Team in Montgomery, Alabama.
LC is now 4-0 overall after stopping Huntingdon by a convincing 37-0 margin.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Judging by the final score, it was hard to believe that, midway through the second stanza, Bunn and Nash Central were tied during Monday's non-league gridiron tussle at The Dawg Pound on the NCHS campus.
However, Bunn was just getting started en route to delivering a 77-37 decision over the homestanding Bulldogs.
The score was tied at 23-23 before the Wildcats took the lead for good courtesy of a 2-yard plunge from Davante Caldwell at the 4:48 mark of the second quarter.

HENDERSON -- Southern Vance made a sweeping effort to run past Louisburg during last Thursday's non-conference football matchup at Raider Stadium.
Handling the ball mainly off toss sweep plays, SV's Mark Baldwin rushed for 213 yards on 18 attempts to spark the Runnin' Raiders to a 56-7 decision over the Warriors.
Baldwin's most important dash of heroics came on a fourth-and-goal situation late in the first half, with his club hanging on to a 12-7 advantage.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg's Lady Warriors picked up a doubleheader volleyball sweep Tuesday at home against the Southeast Halifax Trojans.
Two matches were scheduled, and the Lady Warriors were victorious in both of them to improve to 13-1 overall. LHS' lone loss came against Tar-Roanoke Athletic Conference opp7onent Granville Central on the road.
Louisburg took on KIPP Pride last Thursday in league action and earned an easy victory. Scores were 25-6, 25-4 and 25-12 in favor of the Lady Warriors on the road.

BUNN -- Bunn High School's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will host a Fields of Faith event Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the BHS Football Field.
Former North Carolina State and NFL linebacker Pat Teague will serve as the guest speaker.
All area youth groups or players/coaches from other schools are invited to attend. Parents are also welcome.
There is no charge for admission.

HENDERSON -- The Vance-Granville Community College women's volleyball team recently swept a doubleheader against a Region X conference foe at home, bringing the Vanguards' overall record this season to 6-3.
VGCC's victories over Wytheville (Va.) Community College at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson on Sept. 18 were not only the team's first conference wins of this season, but also the Vanguards' first in four years.

HENDERSON -- The Kerr-Vance Academy varsity soccer team won a hard fought victory against Rocky Mount Academy at home last Thursday evening after defeating Southern Vance on Tuesday.
Neither team could score in the first half or much of the second when the Spartans faced Rocky Mount Academy.
The Spartans controlled possession for most of the first stanza but couldn't find the back of the net.

Octavius Scoggins led Louisburg in rushing during last Thursday's road gridiron setback against the Southern Vance Runnin' Raiders.

Franklinton High School veteran standout Ruben Santiago makes his way through the midfield during Tuesday afternoon's home soccer triumph.

Franklinton's Jivel Teasley (with ball) is tackled by a trio of Granville Central defenders.

The North Carolina Senate recently hosted three Franklin County high school students as Pages. They were sponsored by Sen. Chad Barefoot and appointed by the Sen. President Pro Tempore, Phil Berger of Rockingham County.
They were: Noah D. McKay, the son of Trevor and Janet McKay of Youngsville. Noah was also elected Senate Page of the Week by his peers.
Drake Daniel Pope and Holden Nicholas Pope, both sons of Brian and Nancy Pope of Louisburg.

Two Edward Best Elementary Teachers have teamed up to fund an innovative program that will bring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills to their students.
Last spring, second grade teacher Claire Roehl, and Media Coordinator Donna Jones looked to Voya Financial's Unsung Heroes grant program to bring their idea to life: incorporating robotics into their second grade classrooms.

FRANKLINTON -- Police arrested a Franklinton man after he took his ex-girlfriend's car and led them on a chase that ended with a K-9 pursuit.
Jonathan B. Faulkner, 33, was charged with fleeing to elude arrest, reckless driving, unauthorized use of a vehicle, failure to heed lights and siren, motor vehicle theft and resisting a public official.
According to police, the afternoon of Sept. 22, Jessica Edwards reported that Faulkner, who was staying with her temporarily, took her Toyota Prius without permission.

ROYAL -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies are investigating allegations of rape.
A woman called for help on Sept. 26, alleging that she had been sexually assaulted.
According to investigators, the woman said she was walking down N.C. 39 South when someone stopped to offer her a ride.
The woman told investigators that the man looked familiar to her and she felt comfortable getting into the car.

LOUISBURG -- Local and federal authorities combined to arrest three people in relation to sex registry violations.
On Sept. 23, Franklin County sheriff's deputies and officers with the U.S. Marshall's Service arrested Shelly Crews, 45, and Wayne Mitchell, 38, for failing to verify their addresses -- a necessity for those required to be on the sex offender registry.
A third man, Tyrell Mitchell, 19, was arrested and charged with harboring a fugitive.

THERAPY. Above, members of Therapeutic Alternatives Inc.'s Geriatric/Adult Mental Health Specialty Teams, from left, Melissa Lyde, Lisa Neville, Carol Diggs and Stephani Deberry, spoke with residents about the services they provide.

Safe Space, a non-profit domestic violence agency serving Franklin County, will recognize National Domestic Violence Awareness Month with special events in October.
Safe Space served 751 new clients in 2014 and 69 women and their 71 children stayed at the domestic violence shelter.
There have been two deaths in Franklin County in 2015 caused by domestic violence. October is the month to recognize that domestic violence exists in our county and rededicate ourselves to the battle to prevent these actions and protect the victims and their families, said organizers of the event.

A ribbon cutting officially opened the new Citizens Community Bank in downtown Louisburg (across from the Post Office) last week.