Recent Articles

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County continues to monitor an automated dispatch system that it switched to last month.
During the board's Feb. 5 meeting, County Manager Kim Denton noted that the county had implemented the automated locution dispatch system.
The county planned to implement the automated locution system in November, but held off after firefighters expressed concerns.

Several years ago I answered the telephone and was invited to a meeting at what was then called Louisburg's Training Center. I never dreamed that session would spark a community conversation that would be unresolved in 2024!
If I had, I might have let that call go to voice mail -- like government employees are apt to do -- and then run for the hills, or at least Mapleville.

I suspect in the next week, or so, I will have a news story or two to write about the emergency communications tower situation in a news story.
But, in this space, I have the freedom to write a column, which includes speculation, so far unanswered questions and, to be honest, some general exasperation as to how we all got here.
If you're not intimately familiar, here's a crash course refresher on what we know:

Dear editor: On Feb. 8, 2024, I went to the Franklin County tax office to give them my new address for them to send me my property tax money I paid before I sold my home.
I sold my home on Nov. 28, 2023, and had paid my property taxes until the end of the year.

Dear editor: I am writing to express my dismay of closing West Johnson Street in Louisburg.
Those of us who live on that side of town were delighted when the street was cut through.
Prior to that we had to go down N. Main Street with cars backing out on us many times.

The Depot Hill building was donated to the town by the Dickens Family. Their one ask was that the name "Dickens" be used in the naming of the building. I think we landed on "Depot Hill by the Dickens Family."
We had a logo made and someone in town hall should have it.

FRANKLINTON -- From the Muellers to the Camaras and beyond, there have been a handful of great wrestling brother tandems over the past 25 years in Franklin County.
But the latest is certainly one of the greatest as the Michael Brothers have made quite a name for themselves on the mat during their respective careers at Franklinton HIgh School.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Nash Central has two final steps to climb in order to sweep the Class 2-A portion of the Big East Conference girls basketball standings when the Lady Bulldogs hosted Bunn last Friday night at the NCHS Gymnasium.
Consider Part One done as Coach Terri Cash's young squad soared to a 50-14 triumph over the Ladycats in Big East hoops action.

FRANKLINTON -- The Franklinton High School Gymnasium was the spot last Friday for further determination of the Big East Conference boys and girls basketball standings -- and both squads in the lead took yet another positive step toward clinching their respective crowns.
Defending boys champion Northern Nash wrapped up no worse than a tie for the top spot heading into the final two games with a convincing 72-52 triumph over homestanding Franklinton.

LOS ANGELES --- Christian Buffaloe, local Kyokushin Karate fighter and instructor, recently gained 2nd place in the Japan sponsored "Kyokushin Karate USWC Championships" in Los Angeles on February 4.
Buffaloe made it into the finals to go up against strong Japanese fighter Kazuma Koike in an intense match.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College softball players will have a target on its collective backs this spring as the Lady Hurricanes look to enjoy another exceptional season under the direction of acclaimed veteran head coach Eric Lee.
Louisburg enters the campaign ranked first in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Rankings after going 63-5 in 2023 while winning region and district crowns en route to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.

LOUISBURG -- A woman who operated a Youngsville kennel where one dog died and dozens of others were abused, authorities said, was arraigned last week.
Anne-Marie Green is next slated to appear in Franklin County District Court on April 17.
Authorities arrested the 31-year-old Green in January after Animal Services Officer Joseph Williams alleged she deprived of necessary sustenance more than 20 dogs at her Green Meadow Kennels.

LOUISBURG, NC--We are sad to announce the passing of Nancy Griffin Murphy of Louisburg, NC.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Larry Donnell Kearney, Sr., age 67, who died on Friday, February 9, 2024, will be held on Saturday, February 17, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Enoch E. Nicholson, age 78, who died on Monday, February 12, 2024, will be held on Tuesday, February 20, at 2 p.m. from the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Linwood Long officiating. Burial will follow in the Mt. Moriah Church Cemetery.

Raleigh, NC--Funeral services for Evelyn "Christine" Woodard, age 61, who died on Monday, February 12, 2024, will be held on Saturday, February 17, at 11 a.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Haywood Church Cemetery.

Louisburg, NC--James J. Kirby, 83, of Louisburg, formerly of Middletown and West Hartford, CT, died February 7, 2024.

Henderson, NC--Carolyn Rhodes Ayscue, 61, of Henderson died Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. She was born to the late James Shelton Rhodes and Rebecca Bobbitt Rhodes in Vance County on September 9, 1962.

Traverse City, MI-- Byron Fergus Pearce, age 57, died Monday, February 5, 2024. Byron was formerly of Franklin County, NC.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg's controversial Depot Hill project will be a main topic at a special town council meeting called for 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, in the Karl Pernell Safety Center.
Following the public portion of that meeting, the council has announced that it will meet in executive (secret) session to discuss contract and personnel issues.

LOUISBURG -- Cliff Stephens is a roughneck kid from Stem.
He, his brother and cousins were also notorious for turning early Christmas celebrations at his aunt's house into a battle royale -- not uncommon for that roughneck kid.
And, he certainly had hot-rodding in his blood, inherited from his Dad and uncles, family said.

BUNN -- Franklin County commissioners lambasted a town decision they allege will hamper their ability to improve emergency communications across the county.
But, county officials didn't make those comments during a public hearing on the matter in Bunn.
In November, engineers and the county petitioned the town of Bunn to erect a telecommunications tower behind the Bunn Fire Station on Main Street -- which is not allowed in that C-1 district and would have required a text amendment.

LOUISBURG -- Ask almost any teacher, especially those who work with younger children, and they'll tell you it's between difficult and impossible to teach a child whose stomach is growling from hunger.
And ask almost any parent, especially those with younger children, and you'll learn just how difficult it is to drag a child out of bed early on a cold morning and get them to dress, find their books and coat and then eat breakfast before the dreaded school bus arrives.