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TOGETHER. The Miracle League of Franklin County, law enforcement and other first responders teamed up for the annual Light It Up Blue Special Needs Community Day at the Miracle League field at Long Mill Elementary last Saturday. Above, Charlie Lord presented Nathan Gupton with a balloon animal, one of the many vendors set up during the event.

LOUISBURG -- In an unusual meeting Monday night, the Franklin County Board of Education removed the most important item on its agenda after one board member said he needed more time to study the proposed budget request.
Ultimately, the board agreed -- on a 4-to-2 vote -- to remove the budget discussion from the agenda and to schedule a special session to discuss it after board member Tom Harris said that "he needed more time" to look at the numbers before voting on the document.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council approved a contract for "economic development coordination and grant writing services" following a 45-minute executive session to discuss contracts on Tuesday night.
The move comes after months of discussion about how best to improve economic development prospects in town -- and how to obtain more federal and state grants.

The Miracle League of Franklin County held its Light It Up Blue event last Saturday, an opportunity for the first responder community and others to partner with special needs resources in the community. Above, Karelia McCauley gets her face painted by Sofia Lee. Concessions and other fun events took place surrounding the Miracle League baseball game at Long Mill Elementary.

LOUISBURG -- Owners of a property condemned after construction teams tore down the old theater to make way for Franklin County's new judicial complex have sued more than 30 entities tied to the demolition -- including Franklin County.
Construction crews began demolishing the old theater property on Nash Street last August, but the primary structure was torn down in December.
The demolition is set to make way for renovation and expansion of the Franklin County Courthouse Annex property.

LOUISBURG -- Three people were slated to appear in court this week after authorities alleged they officers on early morning chase that ended with a jump-and-run arrest in Franklin County and a fiery crash into a home in Zebulon.
No serious injuries were reported.
According to Louisburg Police, officers tried to stop an Infiniti and Dodge Challenger for speeding south on Bickett Boulevard at about 2:30 a.m. on Monday.

Mike Price, Chris Simonsen and Doug Little formed a trio of trash picker uppers last Saturday as part of the 6th annual Greater Youngsville Cleanup & Earth Day Celebration. Teams of volunteers spread around the town picking up from along the sides of road.

FRANKLINTON -- Authorities were looking for a person suspected of shooting a juvenile multiple times just outside of town.
Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White hadn't posted the name of the victim or his condition.
Franklinton Police Chief James Davis Jr. said Sgt. J. Carter and Officer L. Matthews were the first officers to arrive at the S. Chavis Street location to secure the scene, which is just outside Franklinton in the county's jurisdiction.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Police were looking for two suspects accused of a bank robbery on Wednesday morning.
Youngsville Police Capt. Brandon Lemons reported that two suspects were believed to have robbed the First Citizens Bank. The call came in to law enforcement around 11 a.m.

Miracle League Executive Director Tom Flaherty calls the action at latest game

ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD. Youngsville Fire Chief Brian Christmas, Youngsville Fire Lt. Jonathan Hopkins and Youngsville Police Officer E. McAdams have fun in the outfield during the Light It Up Blue event last Saturday at Long Mill Elementary in Youngsville.

Now that the 15th of April is in our rearview mirrors, maybe we can begin getting truly serious about the actual arrival of spring!
The 15th is, supposedly, about the last average frost day in these parts -- and although we could still get nipped, it's fairly safe to begin doing some gardening and work in the flower beds.
That said -- keep an eye on the weather because Mother Nature has been known to toss out a chilly curve ball from time to time!

If you look at the rest of this edition of your Franklin Times, you'll see that plenty of folks didn't show their best selves this weekend.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies are looking for the suspect who shot a juvenile multiple times at a residence just outside of Franklinton last Friday.
On Sunday evening, deputies arrested a suspect accused of stabbing another man, at least twice.
And, during the early morning hours of Monday, drivers of two stolen vehicle led Louisburg police and other authorities on a chase that ended with a jump-and-run arrest near the Wake County line, and another arrest in Zebulon when a speeding suspect crashed into a house of five, sparking a fire.

Dear editor:
Apparently, we've misunderstood the Democrat Party's brand of "Democracy," all along.
Citizens thought it meant one person, one vote, with a reasonably clear line between American citizens and foreign interests. Under the Democrat Party's innovative brand of "Democracy," campaign finance looks more like a shell game run by party operatives who swear they're saving "Democracy" while they delete the donor logs.

Dear editor: When J.D. Vance announced that the Iranian peace talks had failed, he made an astonishing comment. "The simple fact is that we need to see a commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon."
The maddening irony is that we had that commitment, brokered by President Obama. Trump tore it up.
Now, after expending blood and much treasure, Vance wants to get that commitment back again. But we can't get it back.

Dear editor:
It was on TV that we learned about it.
It promised to improve memory if you used it.
It was then that we rushed out to buy it.

Dear editor; I woke up on Easter Morning to the wonderful news that our military had rescued the second downed airman in Iran.
The first airman was rescued soon after the F15E fighter jet was shot down and about 48 hours later the second airman was rescued. The effort and ability of our military to find these young service members behind enemy lines is amazing. The news really made this Easter even more special.

Dear editor:
Here's a link is to another newspaper story on Franklin County's Kerr Lake water requests: https://www.lakegastongazette-observer.com/news/article_417fd580-2a48-4a88-8515-d70b96b16731.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Being the second-fastest growing County in North Carolina why doesn't Franklin County invest in building regional water reservoirs since it's such a large county?
Franklin County has been paying twenty thousand dollars monthly since 2022 to secure Kerr Lake water rights. What are the results so far if any?

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Louisburg man in a stabbing incident.
According to the arrest warrant, authorities allege John Randolph Addington stabbed Michael Johnson with a knife, inflicting serious injury.
According to emergency management authorities, the victim was stabbed several times during the April 12 evening attack and was transported to Maria Parham Franklin before being airlifted to WakeMed, where he was being treated for life threatening injuries.

LOUISBURG -- A restaurant was expected to re-open on April 15, nearly a week after an electrical fire shut it down.
Louisburg firefighters were dispatched to the Waffle House on Bickett Boulevard just before 7:30 a.m. on April 9 when smoke was reported coming from the roof.
Once on scene, crews saw smoke coming from the HVAC unit on the roof and were able to begin attacking the small fire with the aid of their ladder truck, said Louisburg Fire Capt. Ricky Johnson.

WAKE FOREST -- Wake Electric is calling on local educators to submit their "Bright Idea" for a chance to bring their dream classroom project to life. The local electric cooperative is awarding grants of up to $3,000 to enhance educational experiences through creative and engaging projects. Teachers can apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.
"We're proud to invest in the communities we serve, and grants for local educators are a direct way we're able to do that," said Kirk Metcalf, Wake Electric's vice president of member services and human resources.

LOUISBURG -- While his motion to dismiss remains pending, attorneys for Sheriff Kevin White have denied the most damning allegations against him in a defamation lawsuit filed by a former county manager.
In October, Raleigh attorney J. Heydt Philbeck filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Civil Superior Court, alleging that White defamed Kimberly Denton in a political power move that cost the manager her job in November 2024.

BUNN -- Town commissioners handled some odds and ends at their last meeting, including getting an update on cemetery operations -- and approving the swap of two plots.
Last fall, the town agreed to have their old cemetery surveyed, giving them the accurate measurements to free up land for 68 new graves, town cemetery manager Randy Mullen told commissioners during the board's March 2 meeting.