FRONT PAGE

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's public schools will be under new leadership next year.
But, it'll be influenced, a bit, by the system's current guiding hand.
Following a special called meeting and closed session for personnel on Dec. 5, the Franklin County Board of Education unanimously selected Dr. Nakia Hardy as its next superintendent.

LOUISBURG -- More incumbents and challengers have thrown their hats into the ring for this spring's mid-term elections.
The filing period runs through next Friday.
Seats held by School Board District 1 member Meghan Jordan, District 3 member Elizabeth Keith, District 5 member Chris Perry, and at-large District 7 member Paige Sayles are up for election.

Santa Claus, with reindeer pulling his sleigh, waves to the crowd in Youngsville last Saturday morning in a parade that helped kick off the Christmas holiday season. Santa had a little help from 'elves' who tossed candy to the crowd watching the parade, especially the youngsters who couldn't wait to give Santa their wish lists.

JUSTICE -- More than a half dozen fire and emergency rescue units combined to extinguish a house fire and render aid to the occupant on Tuesday.
The homeowner, who got out of the house by the time firefighters arrived, was taken to Maria Parham Franklin where he was treated for smoke inhalation and evaluated.
Authorities also said the man, identified as Johnny Paul, sustained burns to the face and hands, but it was not immediately clear how serious those injuries were.

You can't have a parade in Franklin County without fire trucks and firefighters -- and that was certainly true in Louisburg's Christmas Parade last Saturday afternoon. This truck is better known as "Maude" and is one of the featured attractions of the Louisburg Fire and Police Museum when she's not being featured in a parade. In this photo, Maude is being driven by long-time firefighter Larry Peoples accompanied by his grandson, Toliver Kemp.

Franklinton's parade, the only nighttime one in the county, kicked off the Christmas Season last Thursday evening with crowds that jammed the streets eager for a glimpse of Santa and a taste of the Christmas spirit. Max Moore provided a shoulder boost so that Addison, blue coat, could get a better look at the parade. Additional photos on Pages 10 and 11 of this edition.

Caroline Wheeler, 2, is awaiting Santa Claus