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FRANKLINTON -- State and local authorities are hoping two blurry photos can bring a murder case into focus.
Franklinton police arrived at a home on Fairlane Avenue on Jan. 18 to find Clarence Person Jr. dead from a single gunshot wound.
At the time, investigators allege two men entered the home and one of them fired the shot that killed the 49-year-old.

Members of Girl Scout Troop 983 stopped by Ronnie White's Main Street Service Station in Youngsville to work on their Car Care Badge. Above, Breanna Hudson checks tire pressure. Troop Leader Roxanne Hudson said "we are always trying to introduce [scouts] to new experiences and help them gain the tools they need to be successful as an adult.

LOUISBURG -- The family of a woman decapitated by her psychotic son has filed a lawsuit against the doctor who discharged the teenager less than a week before the murder.
This past October, Oliver Machada was found not guilty of killing Yesenia Funez by reason of insanity and Superior Court Judge Henry Hight committed him to a state mental health facility -- where he will more than likely spend the rest of his life.

Efforts are underway to get one of Louisburg's most famous "ladies" back home after she spent a long, long time in a "spa" in an effort to return her to the way she looked nearly 100 years ago.
The "lady," of course, is Maude, a vintage fire truck that once battled fires in and around Louisburg and is the county's first motorized fire truck.

BUNN -- Commissioners agreed to increase some police department fines in hopes of eliminating some nuisance behaviors.
Newly installed Police Administrator Steve Massey asked the board to increase fines for violating town ordinances, including the noise ordinance, fire lane parking, jake braking, overtime parking, handicap parking and, abandoned and junked vehicles.

FRANKLINTON -- This fall, the Franklinton American Legion Post 52 can serve up a birthday cake with 100 candles.
While its annual banquet served as part of its centennial celebration this past weekend, it was a handful of award recipients who sparkled.
During its awards banquet on Saturday night, the Post recognized the Soldier of the Year, Fireman of the Year, Legionnaire of the Year, Officer of the Year and the recipient of its Community Service Award.

LC star softballer Haleigh Joyner

Now that we've all decided to "spring forward" an hour, let's hope that means that we're actually a little closer to spring!
Springing forward, around our house at least, is met with decidedly mixed emotions.
We all enjoy the longer daylight in the evening -- except that it takes away our best excuse not to do yard work when we get home.

Granted, it's not even mid-March yet but a particular type of spring "flower" is visible around our region.
And they aren't pretty!
In fact, they are downright ugly. Disgusting even.

I've watched enough television and sat in enough classrooms myself to know what it means when students hear words similar to these: "I'm Subby McSubstitute and I'll be your teacher, today." Back when I was in school, that announcement was most often met by a gleam in the eye of most students and the unmistakable look of dread in the eyes of some poor substitute teacher.

Dear editor: Just read "Bickett Bust," an upclose and personal view. It describes a dangerous drug bust. It seems these stories are rapidly increasing. We need to pray for the police officers that fight this daily.
Further down in the story you write that "It's about economics.

FRANKLINTON--Lena Toliver Cooper, 77, died Monday, March 11, 2019 at her home in Franklinton.

CREEDMOOR -- Rare are the occasions when a pair of softball state finalists meet this early in the season in league action.
But such was the case Tuesday as South Granville, the reigning Class 2-A state champion, hosted Class 1-A runner-up Louisburg for a key Northern Carolina Conference fast-pitch showdown.

WILSON -- Franklinton found itself shorthanded and on the short end of the scoreboard during its annual appearance last Saturday at The Brittany Girls Soccer Showcase.
Taking on a foe the level of Southwest Onslow is difficult enough, but the Lady Rams had to do so without four starters due to other commitments.
That was more than Franklinton could withstand as the Lady Rams were defeated by a 4-1 margin at Gillette Park in Wilson County.

CREEDMOOR -- Bunn picked up a huge early-season baseball victory in the Northern Carolina Conference on Tuesday by registering a 7-2 decision at long-time rival South Granville.
After the duel between perennial NCC powerhouses, Bunn improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the league.

FRANKLINTON -- Take the next step.
That's the theme within the Franklinton High School boys basketball program, which has struggled the past two seasons in the ultra-competitive Big East Conference.

RALEIGH -- An inability to win close games has been a season-long bugaboo for the Louisburg College men's basketball team.
The trend struck again last Thursday -- and at the worst possible time.
The eighth-seeded Hurricanes were on the verge of pulling off an upset of No. 1 seed Pitt Community College in the quarterfinals of the Region X Tournament at the Wake Tech Community College Gymnasium.

LOUISBURG -- One day after dropping their Region X opener, the Louisburg College Hurricanes were back in action with a rare Monday single game versus Cuyahoga Community College in non-league baseball action at historic Frazier Field.
The Hurricanes jumped ahead early and then held off a late Cuyahoga threat to defeat the visitors from Ohio by a 10-7 total.

FRANKLINTON -- The Fifth Annual T. Sanders Memorial High School Track and Field Invitational Championships will be held this Saturday at the Franklinton High School Football Field.
Action will begin at 9 a.m., and over 25 area track and field powerhouses are expected to be in attendance -- including the host Red Rams.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College experienced an emotional end to its 2018-19 women's basketball season -- a campaign that closed last Thursday with a loss to Clinton Junior College in the opening round of the Region X Tournament.
LC was the host for the event, but the home-court advantage didn't help the Lady Hurricanes, who were defeated 92-83 by Clinton in a high-scoring showdown.

GREENVILLE -- Turner Brown paced No. 14 East Carolina University's 14-hit attack going 3-for-5 with a pair of triples and scored twice as the Pirates completed the weekend baseball sweep over Marist, 10-5, Sunday afternoon at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium.
With the win, the Pirates improved to 12-5 on the season while the Red Foxes dropped to 4-8.

Louisburg College's Jordan Beale (right) drives toward the basket during last Thursday's contest against Pitt Community College at the annual Region X Tournament.

South Granville pitcher Brooke Bowlling (left) tries to throw out Louisburg's Kaylee Saunders at first base during Tuesday's softball showdown in Creedmoor.

Members of the Louisburg College women's basketball sophomore class and their families pose at halfcourt during the Lady Hurricanes' final regular season home game at the historic Taylor Center on the LC campus.

Franklinton's Miracle Cornell speeds toward the ball during last Saturday's action.

LOUISBURG -- The life and impact of a champion of civil rights across the world, and here in Franklin County, will be on display this weekend.
The Franklin County Senior Democrats will host North Carolina NAACP Attorney Al McSurely as its guest on Saturday, watching a documentary filmed by acclaimed writer Cash Michaels before going into dialogue with the civil rights attorney.

LOUISBURG -- John Wiatrik learned to fly at Franklin County's airport.
Next month, he'll be in charge of helping Triangle North Executive Airport soar.
County Manager Angela Harris introduced Wiatrik as the county's new airport director.

LOUISBURG -- Aviation investigators released the preliminary report into a fatal crash that revealed the pilot didn't fully view "... any weather imagery prior to the flight" that killed him and two passengers.
It was rainy and foggy the evening of March 1 and the report included witness statements wondering why the pilot, Brian Sjostedt, "would want to fly in this?"
Sjostedt and two passengers, Jessica Kenny and Allison Forsythe, died in the crash.