Recent Articles

You've heard the old saying about what a difference a day makes.
A week makes even a bigger difference!
Just a few days ago, Oct. 17 and 18 to be exact, Carey Johnson and I were busy covering local events that revolved around demands for change from politicians who seem tone deaf and far, far removed from their constituents, even when their constituents are local folks.

BUNN -- The Bunn Tavern voluntarily closed its doors and surrendered its liquor license following an ALE undercover investigation spurred by Bunn police.
Four employees and the proprietor were arrested, beginning on Oct. 16, following a months-long investigation by agents with the State Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, Bunn police and Franklin County sheriff's deputies.
Bunn Police Chief Justin Hastings said Bunn Tavern operator Sharon Ray McCloud voluntarily surrendered the establishment's ABC license.

LOUISBURG -- Auditor James Sargeant brought some good news along with Louisburg's long-awaited audit report for 2023 -- and he led with the good news.
Louisburg got a "clean, unmodified audit," he said, "that's the best you can get."
He added that auditors found:

Ryan Murphy of Ring of Fire BBQ (left) was smiling Saturday morning when his barbeque was judged to be the best this year in the BBQ in the Burg contest. Murphy is from Snow Hill, NC, and is shown accepting his first-place winnings from Tim Gupton, one of the organizers of the event which was held for the fifth straight year Friday night and into Saturday morning. Randall White of Bunn, operating as Boo's BBQ, won second place in what judges said was a very close competition. Capturing third were the Pocosin Boys, Mark Copeland and Billy Perry, of Bertie County. --For more photos of the event, see page 16a of this edition.

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners took two actions to improve Main Street.
The result of the Oct. 21 action should be two-fold:
• Improve the look of the main thoroughfare;
• Move the town one step closer to controlling the street and removing truck traffic.

Above, Edith De'Leon, left, and Katie Preddy, right, help Amanda and Kathleen Bell find just the right treat during Youngsville's Trick or Treat on Main last Friday afternoon.

FRANKLINTON -- Operators of the Franklinton Community Garden have secured their nonprofit status.
Such designation, volunteers hope, will help them secure the funding they need for an irrigation well -- an apparatus that will help them even more provide farm fresh food to those in need.
Bernie Meader, who has been spearheading the volunteer organization's efforts for years, made the pronouncements during Franklinton's Oct. 21 Board of Commissioners meeting.

One of Franklin County's finest, June Greene

ZEBULON -- A Zebulon man, Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, has been charged with four counts of murder in the death of his four children.
Dickens reportedly called 911 on Monday to report that he had killed his children.
Responding deputies discovered that one child, the man's 3-year-old son, was inside the house safe and unharmed but that four of his other children were dead inside the trunk of a vehicle in the man's garage.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Wake Forest and Youngsville officials both agreed to continue an annexation agreement -- first signed in April 2007 -- that defines growth potential for both.
Nearly 20 years ago, the neighboring towns, along with Franklin County, established an annexation agreement that defined areas for each town that were best suited for potential annexation, based on their ability to provide utility services.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College Men's Soccer continued this season after winning the NJCAA Region X Championship Title, among other Region X accomplishments.
The team hosted the Region X Tournament this past week, playing the championship game Oct. 25 at LC's Ronald R. May Field.
The Hurricanes defeated Cape Fear Community College and Wake Technical Community College 6-1 and 4-1, respectively, to earn the Region X Championship Title.
The awards don't stop there.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College Football had a lot to be excited about over the weekend.
The team hosted its Annual Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 25, beating visiting Myrtle Beach Collegiate Academy 60-0.
Despite chilly temperatures, the Hurricanes were ecstatic to play for family, friends and college alumni.
During half-time, Louisburg College Student Life presented this year's Homecoming Court.

NJCAA and Region X representative Lind Hartsell presents Head Coach Matthew Mozynski with the NJCAA Region X 2025 Coach of the Year award.

BUNN -- Officials and emergency medical services staff ceremonially opened Franklin County's newest EMS station.
Crews are expected to begin answering calls from their new home this coming week.
Raleigh-based Harrod & Associates completed the nearly $3 million project about two months ahead of schedule.
The roughly 6,000-square-foot building, next to Bunn Middle School along N.C. 39, gives emergency responders a new facility from which to serve the growing Bunn community.

Let me start this column with the most important thing:
I owe Franklinton folks an apology and correction.
In last week's column, in my zest to nerd out about early voting numbers and facts, I was wrong in my presentation of the race for commission seats available in the town of Franklinton.

Dear editor: Time and time again -- to be exact, for the past five years -- I have picked up The Franklin Times to see another scathing article dealing with the "alleged actions" and removal of Ms. Patricia Chastain as Franklin County Clerk of Court, and I must say I am disgusted and furious with the way this story gets presented.
From my viewpoint the courts and the media have it all wrong. I believe Ms. Chastain's conduct, actions and decisions reflect great character and genuine concern for the people of Franklin County.

Dear editor: Last week jewel thieves made off with one of the biggest heists in history when they grabbed some of Napoleon's crown jewels worth $120 million from the Louvre in Paris.
That's a pretty good payoff for 7 minutes of work, but it's still small potatoes compared to the haul they could have had if they were President of the United States.
Trump is demanding the Justice Dept give him $230 million in damages for its investigations of him.

Dear editor: Armed federal troops in cities.
A wing of the White House destroyed.
The Rose Garden gone.
Is the Statue of Liberty next?

Dear editor: Thousands of Franklin County residents have health insurance through the ACA Marketplace (healthcare.gov). And now, hundreds of them are threatened with losing it. Why?
The ACA (Obamacare) was created to provide affordable insurance for those who did not qualify for commercial insurance, e.g., due to pre-existing conditions, or who could not afford the cost of commercial insurance.

Name: Alvin Holden
Age: 52
Occupation: Machine operator with Advance Plastic Forum
Previous public service/Community service or involvement:

Name: LaTasha Wilder
Age: 45
Occupation: Educator
Previous public service/Community service or involvement:

Name: Ted Jones
Age: 39
Occupation: Pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Nashville; also employed with Franklin County Schools
Previous public service/community service:

Name: Sean Kingsley
Age: 52
Occupation: Project Manager / Co-Owner Tar River Interiors
Previous public service/community service: