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LOUISBURG -- In a split vote, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners selected a new chair and vice chair -- going to an old hand and injecting new blood.
Commissioner Harry Foy has served on the board for more than three decades, but it was just the second time he's been selected as chair.
Commissioner Roxanne Bragg was elected a year ago and was chosen as the board's vice chair on Monday.

FUN ALL AROUND. Santa with Daylon and Emry Edwards.

FUN ALL AROUND. Shane gives Atley Smith a better view of Youngsville's parade.

FRANKLINTON -- State Department of Transportation representatives provided an update on plans to connect Franklinton to the northeast and southern seaboard via rail, along with a parallel plan to spur centrally-located economic development in town.
Those prospects, though, will come at the expense of three roads that will be cut off by planned closings to accommodate the "higher-speed" passenger rail service.

BUNN -- The town's governing board swore in one new member and one returning during its meeting on Monday.
One of the first acts of the newly constituted board was to delay action on a partnership with a community emergency response team.
During the meeting, Mayor Strawbridge swore in Ally Leggett as the town's newest commissioner and Nicole Brantley as a returning board member.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County Manager Kim Denton made a preemptive strike -- sharing actions the county is taking to improve its animal shelter prior to the public comments.
Going back to 2019, and repeatedly the past few months, animal welfare advocates have appeared before commissioners -- during the public comment portion of the meeting -- demanding improvements at the shelter and calling for the dismissal of the director of animal services.

LOUISBURG -- The filing period opened on Monday, with a handful of early candidates staking claims for party nominations on the board of commissioners and seats on the board of education.
County Commission District seats 1, 3, 5 and 7 are up for election on the Board of Commissioners and, so far, Ryan Williams and Logan Davis have filed for the Democratic party nomination for District 1.

Debbie and Cliff Williams

At the risk of reporting what every child in Franklin County already knows, Santa Claus sightings have been reported -- and are likely to become even more numerous!
The Christmas season is in full swing and if you haven't made your list and checked it twice, you'd better get crackin.'
And yes, I'm going to try to take my own suggestion -- although I'm usually the last person on board with all the holiday stuff.

Before Monday's Franklin County Commissioners' meeting devolved into a split fight for power, there was one thing that united them -- The Franklin Fury.
Last month, the Franklin County Special Olympics soccer team -- which has been around for about two years -- captured gold in the Special Olympics of North Carolina Soccer League Invitational in Cumberland County on Nov. 4; and the Special Olympics North Carolina Fall League in Charlotte, Nov. 16-18.

Dear editor: I am writing to express my concerns with the Tar River Basin study and the lack of concern/effort from our county leaders to be involved in that study from day one.
No one from this county (to my knowledge) attended the virtual "kick off" meeting for the study nearly three years ago and no one attended the virtual meeting of this draft document last month (I was at both... and I aggravated the Army Corps of Engineers' project leader the entire three years the study was underway).

LOUISBURG, NC--Harry Nelson Dupree, 79, died on Saturday, December 2, 2023.

LOUISBURG, NC--Kimberlee Dawn Matthews, 50, of Louisburg, died unexpectedly on Thursday, November 30, 2023 at her home. She was born to Danny Matthews and Geraldine Matthews in Franklin County on March 27, 1973.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- It could easily be argued that this was one of the best all-around football seasons in the history of the Big East Conference -- and for good reason.
Northern Nash piggybacked on its strong 2022 campaign by reaching the Final Four of the Class 3-A State Playoffs for the second consecutive year. Nash Central reached the fourth round of the 2-A State Playoffs -- a first in school history while also setting a new mark for victories in a single season.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Plenty of familiar prep powerhouses will be on display this weekend as the North Carolina High School Athletic Association hosts its annual state championship football games.
Two contests apiece will be held at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill and Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

BUNN -- Bunn's girls will return to defend their championships at the annual Bunn High School Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The three-day event will be held from December 27-29 at the historic Bunn Dome in Franklin County.
Northern Nash's girls will also be back for the tourney, but the NN boys -- several-time champions -- will not participate this time around.

Landon Michael (left) and DJ Miller (right) served as team captains this season for Franklinton High School -- and also earned spots on the prestigious 2023 All-Big East Conference Football Team.

Madi Townsend with the Halvorson Family Farm Cowgirls, rides a decorative horse during Youngsville's parade, which featured some drizzles, but not enough rain to ruin the fun.

The Franklin County Sharpshooters float was decked out for the town of Louisburg festivities.

Larry Peoples, left, gives Mayor Christopher Neal a good seat aboard Maude during Louisburg's parade.

The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was well represented.

Dancers with Louisburg High show out.

Meredith Roberson leads a contingent from Crosscreek Charter School in the Louisburg parade.

Youngsville Mayor Fonzie Flowers, second from right, is joined by Commissioner Larry Wiggins, Cat Redd, Joe Johnson, Scott Brame and Corey Pursche.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners, again, agreed to support a grant application to build a new Franklinton Elementary School.
The Board of Education has sought a $30 million Needs-Based Public School Building Capital Fund grant from the state at least twice.
The 2023-24 funding cycle, though, increases the available amount to $42 million -- an amount that school system staff said would better cover the growing costs of elementary schools.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- More than 21 miles of local roadway will be updated thanks to a contract recently awarded by the N.C. Department of Transportation. Carolina Sunrock LLC of Raleigh will mill, resurface, and reconstruct shoulders along portions of seven roads under the $3.35 million contract:

The Democratic Women of Franklin County provided backpacks full of supplies in support of veterans in need. This project is one of several community service projects for the party, including providing box fans to the elderly during the extreme heat last summer. The backpacks were delivered to the Franklin County Veterans Services Office by Barbara Alston, Jenny Edwards, Armenta Eaton and Sherry Ellis on behalf of the FCDW.

LOUISBURG -- The State Highway Patrol said an inebriating substance is believed to be the cause of a three-vehicle wreck that killed an elderly Louisburg woman last week..
Emily Hodges, in her early 70s, according to investigators, was a passenger in one of the vehicles, and she died from injuries sustained in the Nov. 29 wreck.