Recent Articles

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Evelyn "Alma" Alston, age 73, who died on Friday, February 23, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, March 1, 2024 from the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Warrenton with Pastor Michael Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Shiloh Church Cemetery.

Hollister, NC--Funeral services for Donald "Ducky" Silver, Sr., age 69, who died on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Deral Hedgpeth officiating. Burial will follow in the Silver Family Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for James Dion Teasley, 55, who died on February 12, 2024, were held 1 p.m. Saturday, February 24, at Greater New Life Church Ministries.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Funeral services for Gaynell Thomas-Jones, 71, who died on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 27, at the First Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Kenneth Alexander officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Annie Bell Hicks, age 91, who died on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 2, from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Douglas Harris, Jr. officiating.

Zebulon, NC-- Bobby Dean Edwards was born in Pink Hill, NC on September 17, 1957. He departed this earth on February 22, 2024. He is survived by his wife Marcia Jones Edwards and daughters Emily (John) Jones and Paula Edwards; grandsons Owen Weston and Waylon Jones; sister Georgia Bowman; brother Charles (Lisa) Edwards; sister-in-law Mary Ann Masterman (Ronnie) and sister-in-law Dottie Jones; nieces and nephews, many cousins, and extended family. He predeceased by his parents Roscoe and Ida Mae Edwards; brothers Chester Edwards, Tommy Edwards, Joseph Edwards and sisters Janice Edwards and Elzie Edwards Ezzell.

Kittrell, NC--Howard Ray Gillis, 77, of Kittrell, NC, passed away peacefully on February 23, 2024 at Duke University Medical Center. Howard was born June 8, 1946 to the late Ivey Woodrow Gillis and Georgia Snead Gillis.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for James Dion Teasley, who died on Feb. 12, will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Greater New Life Church Ministries.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for Gaynell Thomas-Jones, 71, who died on Tuesday, February 20, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 27, at the First Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Kenneth Alexander officiating.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for Annie Bell Hicks, 91, who died on Tuesday, February 20, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Douglas Harris Jr. officiating.

BUNN -- A Rocky Mount woman was killed in a wreck with a suspected drunken driver.
Authorities said Jessica Lyon was killed late in the afternoon of Feb. 16 in a near head-on collision on N.C. 39 near Bunn Lake.
The driver of the other vehicle, Justin Ray Bevins, 40, of Zebulon, was charged with driving while impaired.
More charges are pending, said Trooper R.M. Goodacre.

LOUISBURG -- One of the first planes that Larry Peoples got his hands on quite literally had him wrapped around its finger.
And, he couldn't take his eyes off it.
It was a control line model airplane he got for Christmas.
And, by its design, control lines affixed to the plane allowing it to fly in a circle, around the pilot, as the pilot must continually turn with the airplane, controlling its pitch and angle.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council did an abrupt about face Monday night following an hour-long secret session on personnel -- and also took the first steps toward "restructuring" the town's fire department.
In January the council voted to create a full-time position of fire chief with a salary ranging up to $103,000 but on Monday it decided that a paid, part-time chief was a better option.

BUNN -- Following a closed session and then a public discussion with county leadership, two things seemed clear:
• Bunn won't allow a tower behind the fire station;
• Franklin County leaders are prepared to consider placing a tower across the street at Bunn High School.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council took a strong stance against the proposed closing of Johnson Street west of Main Street in downtown -- and urged the North Carolina Department of Transportation to leave well enough alone.
The council unanimously passed a resolution requesting "that the North Carolina Department of Transportation cancel plans to permanently close W. Johnson Street at S. Main Street, and look for alternative means to increase safety and parking access during high utilization times."

YOUNGSVILLE -- Consultants are crafting a parks and recreation master plan, which will guide future leisure activities for the town.
The document is also vital to helping the town secure grant funding for its future parks and recreation needs.
The town hired South Carolina-based Chris Lambka & Associates to develop the plan, which will help the town plan how it builds upon its current parks and recreation offerings, as well as develop new programs and facilities in the future.

Leigh Ann O'Neal with her horse, Skipper, participated in the annual EIA and vaccination clinic at the Farmers Market in Louisburg recently. Dr. Cole Younger of Full Circle Mobile Veterinary Clinic of Nashville provided the services, testing for EIA and health checks. Horse owners were able to save money by attending the clinic at a central location with no farm call fee.

NASHVILLE -- A 39-year old Franklinton man, in jail on a reduced secured bond of $1.2 million, is charged with trafficking one of the largest amounts of Fentanyl ever seized in Nash County -- nearly eight pounds -- discovered during a traffic stop and K-9 search in Nashville.
Joshua Jamaar Vines, of 150 Kimberling Drive, along with Omar Concepcion Cardenas, was stopped by members of the Nashville Police Department on U.S. 64 W on Oct. 25, 2023.

LOUISBURG -- It just got more expensive to live in Louisburg -- or to get things done in town -- following action taken by the town council on Monday night.
Most of the town's fees for services are going up, some for the first time in many years.
"It is time to bring up-to-date the town's fees," explained Philip Slayter, the town's former planning and zoning administrator who now works part-time as a consultant to the town.

Senior Airman, Taylor Michelle Avila, who is currently serving at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam at the Andersen AFB Dental Clinic, was selected as Airman of the Quarter (October - December 2023) for the entire base (8,000 workers) with official notice recently awarded. Taylor graduated from Bunn High School in 2018, where she met her husband of almost five years, Fabian Avila, who also graduated from Bunn High.

When you've been reporting on local government as long as I have, it's surprising when you find things that just don't make logical sense -- but recently two topics have popped up that just seem entirely out of whack.
The first and most important issue is local funding for schools -- and the procedure that we use -- which makes absolutely no sense on several levels.
First, which I've written about previously, is who in the world thinks it's an acceptable idea to have the county schools' leadership go on bended knee to the county commissioners and ask for money to operate?

This photo, which may or may not have been taken in Franklin County, was loaned to us recently in the hopes that some of our readers can provide information about it. It shows seven smartly dressed men in an office that appears to be Circa 1920s or 30s. Note the arch-shaped windows, light bulbs hanging from wires and an old-fashioned telephone on the desk. The photo is from the estate of the late Linwood Gupton who once operated an automotive dealership on South Main Street in Louisburg near the site of the former Alston-Anderson Funeral Home.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bit of a cinephile.
So, the only thing missing from Tuesday night's meeting between Bunn and Franklin County officials was a car chase ... because there was plenty of drama, humor and intrigue.
If you're not familiar, I may suggest you read our front page story on the matter first, but, here it is in a nutshell:

Dear editor:
I have been reading your paper for about one year, mostly lately.
The paper is welcome for keeping folks on top of current local issues. I believe it also helps people appreciate how life is in a small town, with so many nice rural features.