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LOUISBURG -- A former Louisburg finance officer is slated to appear in court in June to face embezzlement charges.
Jennifer Renee Evans Morgan, 47, of Creedmoor, surrendered to authorities on March 4 -- two days after Louisburg Police Capt. D.J. Moore took out arrest warrants alleging she used a town credit card to pay more than $1,000 in personal utility bills.
Town Administrator Sean Medlin fired Morgan in February for an unrelated violation of the town's personnel policy, he said.

LOUISBURG -- At the very end of a grueling, nearly five-hour meeting Tuesday night, the Louisburg Town Council emerged from a 90-minute closed-door session and voted to hire a certified public accountant to help straighten out the town's financial situation.
The issue in the finance department was barely mentioned during the open session of the meeting -- and the fact that former Finance Director Jennifer Morgan has been charged with embezzlement was not mentioned at all. (See related story above for details.)

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Education again came face-to-face with expanding 21st Century technology Monday night -- and then had to waive its own policy to deal with the innovations.
The latest cause for concern at schools are "wearable or ambient AI devices," meaning smart glasses, AI pins or other devices capable or recording or transmitting classroom audio or video.

It's not quite spring, but folks have been taking advantage of warmer weather, including these youngsters who were out at Owens Park in north central Franklin County this week. Above, Eliza Thornton demonstrates some acrobatics on one of the pieces of equipment on the playground.

LOUISBURG -- A multi-pronged economic development initiative he's calling "The Louisburg Promise" was briefly unveiled by Mayor Christopher Neal toward the end of Monday night's long town council meeting.
Neal said the concept of the "Promise" has "never been done before in Louisburg -- and promised that more details will be aired as the plan comes together.
"I promise to be transparent while we move through this," he told the council, adding that "this plan covers everything."

LOUISBURG -- Election results are slated to become official on Friday, with no local races expected to be impacted by final numbers.
It does set the stage for contested races in the fall for school board, the board of commissioners, the sheriff's office and clerk of court.
The March 3 primary featured races for incumbent School Board members in District 1, District 5 and at-large District 7.
An expected primary race for the District 3 school board seat was avoided when Wesley Wheless withdrew, meaning candidates Steven Gupton and Earvin Doyle automatically rolled over to a November battle.

Boys & Girls Club Exective Administrator Christine Kremer

Finally! A break in the winter weather, some much loved sunshine -- and a time change that gives us all a little more time in the evenings.
Spring is officially about eight days away but things are looking brighter for all of us who are sick of ice, snow and bitter cold temperatures, to say nothing of the harsh winter winds.
And yes, the warmer weather, spring showers and the sunshine mean that there is going to be a lot of yard work that needs to be done before the grass explodes -- but even yard work is better than frostbite.

If you saw last week's edition of The Franklin Times, then you know that first responders and the emergency responding community took part in an effort to break a world record -- training the most number of people in hands-only CPR in a single day.
While the attempt generated publicity, it was not a publicity stunt.
It was a life-saving one.
I had the opportunity to speak with leaders of Youngsville's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) about their efforts.

Dear editor: Kristi Noem still thinks if you protest an ICE operation you are a domestic terrorist. She declined to back away from that position when testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
She understands that you only follow one principle when you are a Trump official, after absolute loyalty to Trump, of course -- and that is always repeat the lie, never back away from the lie.

Dear editor: Robert Strickland's recent letter (03-05-2026) invokes verses from Jeremiah, Leviticus and the Good Samaritan Parable to excoriate Christians supporting current immigration law and policies as if they have abandoned Jesus Himself.
In the movie "The Princess Bride" the character Inigo Montoya delivers the line: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Dear editor;
Don't trust your own lying eyes.
You didn't really see what you say you saw.
You will be told what to see, hear, think, say and do.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Annie Ruth Alston, age 89, who died on Monday, March 2, 2026 were held on Sunday, March 8, at 1 p.m. from the Cedar Rock Missionary Baptist Church in Castalia, NC with Rev. Sylvester White officiating. Burial will follow in the Cedar Rock Church cemetery.

Kittrell, NC -- Funeral services for Trequavious Montrell Brown "Tre," age 29, who died on Sunday, March 8, 2026, will be held Saturday, March 14, at 3 p.m. from the Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Kittrell, NC. Burial will follow in the Concord Missionary Baptist Church cemetery. Rev. Anthony Vickers, officiating.

Nashville, NC -- Funeral services for Vincent L. Silver, age 70, who died on Thursday, March 5, 2026, were held Wednesday, March 11, at 1 p.m. from the Shiloh Baptist Church in Warrenton, NC. Burial will follow in the Pleasant Grove Church cemetery.

The Franklin County Board of Education honored 15 students Monday night for the character traits of "acceptance and tolerance" that were the focus of county schools during February.
Students honored were:

SUMMER FUN. The ZB Collie Foundation and the Ben Franklin Society combined to provide three Terrell Lane Middle School students with a summer camp scholarship. A $1,500 scholarship was given to students, bottom row, from left, Andrew Smith, Myles Tamblin and Tomeric Perry. Pictured with them are, top row, from left, Bob Radcliffe with the Ben Franklin Society, Paige Sayles with the ZB Collie Foundation, School Coordinator Latoya Smith and Terrell Lane Middle School teacher Anthony Smith.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Chris Burrell of Youngsville was named to the University of Alabama's fall 2025 Presidents List,
A total of 15,388 students enrolled during the fall semester 2025 were named to the dean's list with an academic record of 3.5 (or above), or the president's list with an academic record of 4.0 (all A's).
The students come from across the university's more than 70 undergraduate programs and 12 colleges and schools.

BUNN -- Town commissioners agreed to rezone a residential lot to commercial use, and added satellite parking as an allowance in that zoning district.
The March 2 decision, commissioners said, would be good for business and parking.
Rustic Roots would see the initial benefit.
Property owners Donnie and Michael Poe, along with Russ Vollmer with Rustic Roots, petitioned the town to rezone a .1333-acre lot from Medium-Density Residential (R-2) to Highway Commercial (C-3).

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested a Louisburg man on charges that he broke into a home, robbed three people and kidnapped and assaulted a former girlfriend.
Jose Luis Medina Villarreal, 34, was arrested March 1 and charged with first degree kidnapping, breaking and entering, robbery, damage to property, simple assault, assault on a female and intimidation.
Villarreal was placed in the Franklin County jail without bond.

FRANKLINTON -- A Kittrell man was killed when he caused a head-on crash, investigators said.
Authorities allege Trequavious Montrell Brown, 29, was driving north on Walter Grissom Road when he crossed the center line just after midnight on March 8.
The 2013 Honda he was driving crashed head-on into a sport utility vehicle near the intersection of General Green Road.
Brown died as a result of his injuries, said Sgt. J.K. Legan.

Joseph B. Cutchins Jr. retired last month as First Baptist Church's minister of music. Cutchins held that post for 43 years.
Cutchins said goodbye to that post, performing two songs during the Feb. 22 worship service at the church in Franklinton, where he received a standing ovation.
Cutchins said it was time to pass the mantle to a younger generation.

LOUISBURG -- The town's insurance carrier agreed to pay a $20,000 settlement, ending a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former firefighter. That settlement was approved by the Louisburg Town Council on Monday night after being discussed in a closed door session.
Raleigh attorney Taylor Rosbrook filed a complaint in Franklin County Civil Superior Court last June, alleging the town and its administrator, Sean Medlin, were guilty of wrongfully terminating Jeremy Henthorn in retaliation for his complaints against the department, opposition to workplace misconduct and his continued association with former chief, Randy Lanham.

LOUISBURG -- Prosecutors have identified the ring leader in a driveby shooting that killed a 69-year-old woman last year.
The cases against the four suspects in the April 2025 shooting remain pending.
Authorities arrested Donavan Boyd, Anarie Brown and Ny'zir Karian Miller-Stevenson, of Warrenton, and Jaquan Lynch, of Durham days after they allege they were responsible for shooting and killing Bernice Pender Massenburg, who was inside her Bert Winston Road home at the time.