Recent Articles

YOUNGSVILLE -- Besides kicking around the big-ticket item of funding a bypass, town officials and management talked about a number of capital projects that will impact their bottom line.
During a March 8 budget work session, Town Manager Nathan Page and department heads for law enforcement, public works, parks and recreation, and others presented commissioners wit a variety of projects they'd like to see funded.

Wrestling legend Moses Iraton

Music critic and journalist David Menconi will be on the campus of Louisgurg College on Thursday, March 21 to discuss North Carolina's substantial role in popular music.
The 2019 Piedmont Laureate, Menconi is a journalist and author in Raleigh.
He spent 34 years writing for daily newspapers, 28 of those years at the Raleigh News & Observer. Before that, he spent five years at the Boulder (CO) Daily Camera.

Violinist Eric McCracken and pianist Robert Buxton will present a program of classical music at Cherry Hill at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 17.
The duo will perform works by Fritz Kreisler, J.S. Bach, Mozart, W.G. Still, and Cesar Franck.
McCracken is a recent retiree from the North Carolina Symphony which he joined in 1975.
He made several solo appearances with the symphony and was assistant concertmaster for one season.

Now that we've all "sprung" forward into springtime -- you did remember or you'd be way out of sync with the rest of us, right? -- it's time to get outside and enjoy what promises to be increasingly nice weather.
Of course, it comes with work -- remember the lawn, the garden, the flower beds and countless other chores -- but it's hard to beat that Carolina sunshine and blue skies, at least until the humidity arrives and the temperatures soar.

It's not in the best interests of myself or those that read this column that I take sides.
And I won't.
But, I have to imagine that after the Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 4, there are some folks looking at county leadership sideways.
So, let me recap:

Dear editor: There was an omission in Carey Johnson's story about the fire at the business in Louisburg on Feb. 26. It mentioned only Louisburg and Justice Fire Departments in the article.
My husband and some of his fellow firefighters from Bunn Fire Department were also there working for hours alongside the other firefighters.

LOUISBURG -- The cause of a fire that destroyed a Louisburg business is officially closed as undetermined.
Fire crews from Bunn, Louisburg and Justice responded during the early morning hours of Feb. 26 to the blaze at 211 S. Bickett Boulevard, finding the front and back of Clifton Auto Sales fully engulfed in flames.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Getting off to a good start in league play is paramount to long-term success during the softball campaign -- and that fact was on the collective minds of both Franklinton and host Nash Central during Thursday on the NCHS campus.
The winner of the showdown was destined to gain some early-season momentum, and that club would prove to be the homestanding Lady Bulldogs.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Rudolph Collins, age 67, who died on Sunday, March 10, 2024, will be held on Saturday, March 16, at 3 p.m. from the Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Dean Jones officiating.

Franklinton, NC-- Wanda Hicks, 74, of Franklinton, died Friday, March 8, 2024 in Louisburg, NC. Wanda was born on July 8, 1949 in North Carolina to the late Aubrey Watson and Ollie Fox Buckner.

MACON, NC -- Funeral services for Baby Girl Carmen Esme Grace Evans, age 15 months, who died on Saturday, March 2, 2024 were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10, from the Mt. Hebron United Holy Church in Louisburg with Elder Ron Clifton officiating. Burial followed in the Walnut Grove Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for Jimmy Nathaniel Mangrum, age 76, who died on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday, March 16, from the Greater Ransom Way of the Cross Church in Henderson with Pastor, Bishop Michael R. Alston, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow in the Church Cemetery.

RALEIGH, NC -- Funeral services for Shirley Mae Williams, 86, formerly of Louisburg, who died on March 6, were held 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 12 at Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

Wilton, NC--Lucille Carolyn Mitchell Gooch, 90, of Wilton passed away Sunday, March 10, 2024, at her home surrounded by her children.

MOREHEAD CITY, NC--Willie Lee Lumpkin, III, 73, of Morehead City, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly from cardiac arrest on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Duke University Hospital in Durham.

LOUISBURG -- County officials will host a public hearing about the prospect of spending $1.2 million to buy 89 acres for economic development.
The specific purpose is not yet clear.
Following a closed session on Monday, the board agreed to host the public hearing on March 15.
They are proposing to buy the parcel owned by Charles Hill Yarborough III.

LOUISBURG -- In November, a handful of pickleball enthusiasts made their presence and desires apparent -- Franklin County needed more courts for the game.
When they came back in February, county commissioners and staff committed to a resolution, sooner, rather than later.
On Monday night, the board voted to pull $175,000 from its general fund to build a multi use, pickleball/tennis court at Owens Park.
They also agreed to open Royal Elementary School for use, as well as gauge the interest of folks playing the game at Laurel Mill Elementary School.

LOUISBURG -- Tuesday's primary set the stage for fall county commission and school board races.
Wesley Wheless secured the Democrat party nomination for the County Commission District 7 At Large seat with 3,689 votes, besting Troy Shaw, 1,454 votes, for the slot.
Wheless will face Republican Stuart May in the fall as May did not have a challenge for the Republican party nomination on Tuesday.

FRANKLINTON -- Dozens of residents and interested parties packed town hall to learn more about a trail project that will connect Franklinton to central Franklin County ... and, perhaps, beyond.
Franklin County, in partnership with Franklinton, received a $3 million grant two years ago to build a three-mile trail along a rail bed from the Train Depot in downtown Franklinton to Novozymes, at Perry's Chapel Road.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a trio on charges of misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment.
Their identities appear to match a pastor and parishioners at a Louisburg church -- Highest Praise Ministries.
According to arrest warrants, Kenneth Neil Jones, 64, of Beasley Road, Rachel Christian Jones, 41, of Dyking Road, and Imre Briscoe Balazsi, 46, of Williamson Street, were each charged with misdemeanor assault of an individual with disabilities and false imprisonment.

It's March -- which means we survived the holiday season plus both January and February and the road ahead for the next few months should take us through some beautiful springtime weather.
And don't forget the time change this week. Spring your clocks ahead an hour Saturday night or Sunday morning and enjoy a little extra daylight in the evenings, even if you do lose an hour of sleep with the time change.