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LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg United Methodist Church has opened its sanctuary for the season, offering folks shelter from the cold when it can.
It's the second year that the church has offered its church as a white flag shelter for homeless and others seeking a warm bed and meal during the fall and winter's coldest nights.
"... Last January, when the temperatures dropped dangerously low, it was hard to justify keeping our doors locked when we have a warm place we can offer for our neighbors who need shelter," said LUMC Pastor Tuck Taylor.

LOUISBURG -- Filing for the 2026 primary ends on Friday and, already, changes are guaranteed in the General Assembly.
And, a race for Franklin County sheriff is set for the fall.
On Monday, District 7 State Rep. Matthew Winslow announced that he would not seek re-election.
Winslow was first elected in the fall of 2020 in a contested race with Dr. Phillip Stover.

Last weekend put the focus on the season, leaving no doubt that Christmas is just a week away. In the photo above, Santa Claus welcomed all to the Bunn parade despite the bone-chilling temperatures and brisk winds, which his reindeer didn't seem to mind at all.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners selected their officers for the next year.
And, one is a new face and the other is fairly familiar.
Commissioner Roxanne Bragg was chosen as the board's chair -- her first time serving in that post. She replaces Commissioner David Bunn in that post.
Commissioner Michael Schriver was selected as vice chair -- resuming a post he was elected to last year.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Education was tasked with organizing for the upcoming year -- and quickly decided to keep its existing leadership in place.
The board re-elected current board Chair Meghan Jordan to another term as chair and Vice Chair Chris Perry to another term as vice chair. Both decisions came on unanimous votes.

LOUISBURG -- Auditors issued Louisburg a clean opinion on its long-overdue audit, but it did note some issues that could potentially reoccur as accountants work to bring the town's financials up to date.
Beyond that presentation, officials swore in new and returning board members to bring the council up to date.
The town and auditors have been working for months to bring Louisburg's audits up to date, as the fiscal year 2022 audit was the last one on record.

Downtown Louisburg has lost another business -- at least temporarily -- due to demolition work that is clearing the way for Franklin County's $40 million courthouse annex expansion.
The building housing Tar River Interiors at 107 West Nash Street was formally condemned by Franklin County inspectors last Saturday after they decided the structure was too dangerous to be used.

Kimberly Hayes and Aubree' Solomon at the Alert Christmas parade

Fair warning: Winter begins on Sunday!
But if you're like me, you thought it had been here for quite some time -- and should be winding down, not just getting cranked up!
I'm one of those "80 degrees and sunny" seems about right, folks, and the older I get, the less I like cold weather.
And if I never seen another snowflake, well, that would be just fine with me.

Life comes at you fast.
It wasn't that long ago that I felt young and wild and free ... making fun of the long-held human migration pattern to Florida.
You know how it goes: Folks spend most if not all of their productive work lives in colder climates, only to retire in Florida for a number of reasons, the primary of which being its warm climate.

Dear editor: As a lifelong animal lover and Professional Dog Trainer I have devoted my life to the care, concern, and development of service and assistance animals.
My experiences have taught me to appreciate animals above humans because frankly, "animals don't have a hidden agenda."
Never has this concept of the "hidden agenda" been more on my mind, than when I think about the case of Patricia Burnette Chastain and her forced removal from the office of Franklin County Clerk of Court.

Dear editor: People critical of Trump have often been accused by him and his sycophantic supporters of suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, suggesting that those who oppose him are irrational and hysterical.
Trump has applied the derisive label to Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor, his former chief of staff John Kelly, numerous TV hosts, actor Robert De Niro, and even Elon Musk, when their relationship turned sour after Musk's disastrous direction of DOGE.

Dear editor: Mr. Strickland and Democrats who suffer from Trump Deranged Syndrome distort Trump's pardoning of 1,500 political prisoners, the so-called insurrectionists of Jan. 6, 2020.
The so-called insurrection that occurred on Jan. 6 was the strangest in history. The insurrectionists showed up disorganized and without weapons. Moreover, the palace guards opened the doors and let them in Some of the guards even escorted some of the insurrectionists around the building.

WINNERS ROAR. Louisburg Lions Club won the best decorated entry of the Alert Christmas parade. Pictured above with winning entry, from left, Dwayne Turner, Tucker Nobles and Jody Proctor.

RIDIN' UP HIGH. Bailey Nelms and Claire DeJesus, Alert parade participants, were all smiles atop the Centerville Fire truck.

SANTA SIGHTING. Santa took time out of his busy schedule to join the Alert parade. Some say he resembles Ethan Fuller just a bit. Driving Santa is Olivia Fuller.

EVERYONE bundled up and had fun during Sunday's parade in Bunn. There were fire trucks, marching musicians, Shriners in trucks, kids bouncing basketballs or riding on floats, Miracle League supporters, athletes on floats, a train ride for the youngsters, pretty girls and handsome guys on floats, tractors galore, politicians on floats, and even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to help welcome in the Christmas Season! Maybe even the Grinch made an appearance.

EVERYONE bundled up and had fun during Sunday's parade in Bunn. There were fire trucks, marching musicians, Shriners in trucks, kids bouncing basketballs or riding on floats, Miracle League supporters, athletes on floats, a train ride for the youngsters, pretty girls and handsome guys on floats, tractors galore, politicians on floats, and even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to help welcome in the Christmas Season! Maybe even the Grinch made an appearance.

EVERYONE bundled up and had fun during Sunday's parade in Bunn. There were fire trucks, marching musicians, Shriners in trucks, kids bouncing basketballs or riding on floats, Miracle League supporters, athletes on floats, a train ride for the youngsters, pretty girls and handsome guys on floats, tractors galore, politicians on floats, and even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to help welcome in the Christmas Season! Maybe even the Grinch made an appearance.

EVERYONE bundled up and had fun during Sunday's parade in Bunn. There were fire trucks, marching musicians, Shriners in trucks, kids bouncing basketballs or riding on floats, Miracle League supporters, athletes on floats, a train ride for the youngsters, pretty girls and handsome guys on floats, tractors galore, politicians on floats, and even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to help welcome in the Christmas Season! Maybe even the Grinch made an appearance.

EVERYONE bundled up and had fun during Sunday's parade in Bunn. There were fire trucks, marching musicians, Shriners in trucks, kids bouncing basketballs or riding on floats, Miracle League supporters, athletes on floats, a train ride for the youngsters, pretty girls and handsome guys on floats, tractors galore, politicians on floats, and even Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to help welcome in the Christmas Season! Maybe even the Grinch made an appearance.

YOUNGSVILLE -- The town's December meeting was primarily ceremonial, bidding farewell to some town servants, while welcoming others.
The board, though, did take quick action to address a minor issue revealed in their latest audit.
During the board's November meeting, certified public accountant Lee Grissom reported to the board a clean audit with one hiccup -- the town needed to increase the bond amount it has for its finance director.

As my tenure as superintendent comes to a close, I find myself reflecting not only on the past 11 years in this district, but also on the 32 years that I have spent in public education in North Carolina.
My heart is full of gratitude for the people who make this district the extraordinary place it is, full of appreciation for the countless moments that reaffirm why our work matters and full of conviction that now, more than ever, our public schools need champions willing to speak up for the students that we serve and the staff who do this important work each day.