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Louisburg NC -- Funeral services for Elizabeth Faye Brodie age 71, who died on Tuesday, June 15, 2026, will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026 at noon from the South Main Baptist Church in Louisburg with the Rev. David K. Rosby officiating.

ZEBULON -- Since he began competing in third grade, Lorenzo Stancil has had a lot of firsts.
This summer, though, the 25-year-old gets to be the first and only ... at least, so far.
Stancil, a stalwart Special Olympian, ambassador and leader will be the first Franklin County athlete to participate in the Special Olympics USA Games, starting this Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn.

LOUISBURG -- Mixed drinks could be on the menu this fall.
Next month, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners are slated to consider whether or not to hold a special alcoholic beverage election in November.
If commissioners call for a special election, and if voters vote in the affirmative, it would permit ABC stores in unincorporated areas and allow establishments to sell mixed beverages -- as long as other benchmarks are met.

BUNN -- The Class of 2026, said Bunn High Principal Tyler Morris, is full of champions, both on the field of play and in the classroom -- earning state championships, honors in the classroom and plenty of scholarships.
But, it's not their accolades that make him most proud, he told the more than 200 graduates who filled the Bunn High School gym on June 11.
"... While all these victories are impressive, what makes me proudest is not what you've won, but how you've won," Morris said.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg Magnet High School Valedictorian Luke Sheldon compared life to a mountain hike:
Checkpoints and milestones are important, he said, but never as important as your guide -- Jesus Christ.
"Life is like climbing a mountain ... as soon as we are born, we start climbing; we start at the bottom and make our way up," he told his fellow graduates, the 136 students making up LMHS class of 2026 during their June 10 commencement exercises inside the Louisburg College auditorium.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton High salutatorian Catherine Hantla said she knows what you think about Generation Z:
You think they're lazy, screen obsessed and entitled.
Before nearly 200 Franklinton High School students walked across the stage set up in the school's gym on June 12, she urged her classmates to challenge that misconception, while acknowledging that they're already chipping away at the stereotype.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved two new towers designed to bolster cell phone coverage.
Verizon plans to build the towers, one on N.C. 39 between Louisburg and Bunn, the other on Strickland Road, south of N.C. 98 and west of Floyd Road.
One of the conditions is that the county would be able to co-locate EMS equipment, free of charge.
Only the proposed tower on N.C. 39 and Dick Baker Road drew opposition during the special called meeting on Monday night, as nearby resident Amy Mason -- who said she represented 18 homeowners -- said the 245-foot tower would negatively impact neighbors.

Carleceller Cooke performed National Anthem during Relay for Life

ABC Adventures Preschool and Childcare, located on Industrial Drive in Louisburg, celebrated their 30th anniversary at the end of May. The event included bounce houses, food and fun. Pictured with the many youngsters enjoying the slide is owner/director Valerie Weston (left) and her daughter Catherine Allen, assistant director. Weston purchased what was Youth University from Gerald and Barbara Eury on May 24, 1996. ABC Adventures Preschool and Childcare opened on May 27, 1996.

HENDERSON -- Franklin County's neighbors have another week to respond to preliminary calls for regional water partnership.
But, already, Henderson leaders have asked Franklin County management to stop its public campaign.
"... The city of Henderson, through the Kerr Lake Regional Water Partnership, is committed to helping Franklin County solve its water supply problems," said a June 3 press release signed by Henderson City Manager Paylor Spruill.

YOUNGSVILLE -- After hearing no comments on the town's proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget last Thursday during a public hearing, the town board unanimously adopted it without further discussion.
The $6 million budget was first outlined to the town board last month by Town Manager William Doerfer. It gives employees a raise, bolsters the parks and recreation department and continues the town's plans to expedite the Youngsville bypass. It also lowers overall spending and keeps the tax rate stagnant at 54 cents per $100 of valuation.

FRANKLINTON -- The town's Board of Commissioners rezoned more than 52 acres and entered into development plans that would allow a nearly 160-home development.
Raleigh-based Weaver Holdings has proposed combining three parcels to develop 157 single family homes at 248 Lane Store Road -- a property just south of the Weatherly subdivision.

Here's a non-news "flash."
Summer begins on Sunday the 21st, just three days away.
After several 90-plus days -- some of which actually hit or surpassed 100 degrees -- I would have sworn that summer had already arrived.
My hope is that once summer is here, it doesn't get any hotter.
But I also hope it will bring some or all of those "spring showers" that managed to almost completely bypass many of us this year.

I happily admit I'm old.
I mean, it's not like the grey hair on my head doesn't give it away ... or the old-man sounds I make when getting up from a chair.
And, no, I'm not saying I have one foot in the grave, but I certainly appreciate that this body I'm carrying around has decades of experience.
And, some of those experiences take me back to the classroom -- which is a prescient thought considering I spent the majority of last week at high school graduations.

If you read my column last week, you know we started pulling back the layers on Louisburg's upcoming budget. This follow-up goes a bit deeper into the weeds of municipal finance, so if last week's numbers felt like a lot, you might want to pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee before we look at what's happening beneath our streets.
The response from local residents after that first piece confirmed a shared, deep-seated anxiety: regular citizens are tired of watching their cost of living rise while our core infrastructure is quietly pushed to the brink.

Dear editor: On June 3, 2026, my life was nearly taken away. It was about 12 noon. Rarely, do I drive at such a busy time; the first of the month. Workers getting paid, older drivers who receive Social Security are also out and about paying in-person bills. Some in their 70's and 80's don't know the technology to pay online.
As for me, I normally wait until the hustle and bustle is over; this was not an ordinary day. We had been cleaning a storage house and it had taken longer than expected, even though we started at the crack of dawn.

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested a Kittrell man on intimidation and gun possession charges.
Via a magistrate's order, Louisburg police charged Corey Matthew Clayton with felony possession of a stolen firearm, two misdemeanor counts of assault by pointing a gun and one misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
According to police and court records, the incident was reported to have happened on June 6 in the area of N.C. 39 and Moulton Road.

Louisburg, NC -- Memorial services for Diane Davis, age 68, who died on Saturday, June 6, 2026, were held Wednesday, June 17, at 6 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Annette Marie Burkam, 65, of Louisburg, passed away Monday, June 8, 2026.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Sharon Mabrey Gourley, 50, of Louisburg passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family. She was born on November 16, 1975 to the late Timothy and Brenda Grady Mabrey in Wake County, NC. In addition to her parents, Sharon is preceded in death by her son, Jacob Gourley, her maternal grandmother Lula Gray, and her father-in-law, Paul Gourley Sr.

Nashville, NC -- Funeral services for Annie B. Lynch Richardson, age 93, who died June 7, 2026, were held Sunday, June 14, at 2 p.m. at Social Union Baptist Church in Nashville, NC.

Louisburg, NC -- Charles Leonard Watkins, 86, passed away on Tuesday evening, June 9, 2026 at his home surrounded by his family.

Franklinton, NC -- Funeral services for Tyrone Wall Sr., age 58, who died on Sunday, June 7, 2026, will be held Saturday, June 20, at 2 p.m. from the Franklinton Elementary School gymnasium, Franklinton, NC.