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RACE READY. Above, athletes and volunteers, including, Owen O'Berry, CJ May, Chloe Scott, Brinkley Robinson and Ian McKnight pose for a selfie during the Special Olympics of Franklin County Spring Games held on April 28 at Louisburg Magnet High School.

CJ May celebrates a first place win in the softball toss competition. Dozens of competitors put their talents to the test in running, walking and throwing competitions during the annual spring festivities. It serves as a qualifying event for the Special Olympics state games.

Above, Storm Van Loan, right, is pushed hard in a race by Zayde Chesney on the track at Louisburg Magnet High School.

Ava Vick crosses the finish line of a race with a little guidance from Francine Eastman

Danny Lewis Pearce, age 73, passed away peacefully at his home on May 4, 2026, and is now with his Lord and Savior. He was born July 2, 1952, in Wake County, to the late Robert Pressley Pearce, Jr. and Lovie Blackley Pearce.

Louisburg, NC -- Memorial services for Barbara Ann Spivey, age 75, who died on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Rochelle P. Johnson, age 88, who died on Saturday, May 2, 2026, will be held on Monday, May 11, at 1 p.m. from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg, NC.

Wake Forest, NC -- Rebecca Susan Davis, age 63, died April 28, 2026.

Franklinton, NC -- Eric Dewitt Coats, 53, died April 25, 2026, at his home in Franklinton, NC.

Franklinton, NC -- Evelyn Marie Montague, age 97, of Franklinton, (aka, Emorie), daughter of the late William and Ethel Jeffreys Montague was born March 18, 1929, in Franklin County, NC. She died April 13, 2026.

Franklinton, NC -- Ella Mae Perry Crudup, age 98, of Franklinton, NC, was born November 11, 1927, in Franklin County, NC. She was the daughter of the late Kelly and Mary Lizzie Crudup Perry. Ella Mae died April 21, 2026, at her home in Franklinton.

Nashville, NC -- Funeral services for Michael Anthony Battle Sr., age 74, who died on Friday, April 24, 2026, will be held on Thursday, May 7, at 12 noon from the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church in Nashville, NC with Rev. Keisha Spivey officiating.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Diane B. Drake, age 76, who died on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, was held on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC. Burial will follow in the Oakland Cemetery in Nashville, NC.

The only live 4D show in the world is coming to the Louisburg College JPAC on May 10. Mark Nizer will bring a new dimension of laser light and technology. Nizer has performed in thousands of corporate events, civic centers, festivals and performing arts centers including the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. This 4D show requires the use of special glasses that will be distributed before the show. Tickets are available on-line at www.jpacarts.com, or by calling the Louisburg College box office at (919) 497-3300, M-F, 1-5 pm.

Strawberries are the first fruits to ripen in the spring. The small wild strawberry often found along roadsides and woodland edges are the parents of our hybrid strawberries today.
The cultivars recommended for home gardens in NC are June-bearing strawberries such as 'Galletta,' 'Chandler' and Jewel. June bearers are short-day plants, which means they start forming flower buds when days are less than 12 hours long. Runners begin to form as a long-day response when day length is more than 12 hours.

RALEIGH -- A controversial bill that would have given Franklin County the unilateral power to take land from its neighbors was withdrawn from consideration Tuesday afternoon -- to applause.
Sen. Benton Sawrey, who filed the local bill in February 2025 that morphed into legislation that would have let Franklin County buy or condemn land in Vance, Warren and Halifax counties, asked that matter be "withdrawn from consideration, today," he said during an afternoon Senate session on Tuesday.

Franklinton Commissioner Tasha Hatten, right, helps Public Works Director Brad Kearney, left, and Public Works team member Bill Hylander plant a Japanese maple along N. Main Street as part of the town's Arbor Day Springfest activities.

LOUISBURG -- Two parachutists escaped serious injury when high winds affected their sky dive.
According to Franklin County Emergency Management, one skydiver was hurt during a hard landing late Saturday afternoon near the runway of Skydive Raleigh -- a skydiving operation on N.C. 56, between Louisburg and Franklinton.
That skydiver, authorities said, was taken to WakeMed where he was treated for minor injuries.

LOUISBURG -- The case against the fourth suspect in a 2025 drive-by killing was continued until this summer.
Authorities arrested Donavan Boyd, Anarie Brown, 20, and Ny'zir Karian Miller-Stevenson, of Warrenton, and Jaquan Lynch, of Durham days after they allege they were responsible for shooting and killing Bernice Pender Massenburg, who was inside her Bert Winston Road home during the April 1, 2025 incident.
The cases against 23-year-old Boyd and 24-year-old Lynch were declared exceptional -- which means the case is recognized as complex, requiring specialized management, which often means the case is assigned to a specific judge to handle the case for its entire duration, rather than rotating through different judges.

Franklin County Relay for Life held their annual event Friday, April 24, at Franklinton High School. Teams have been raising money for months for the American Cancer Society and raised even more Friday night. The first lap of the evening was for survivors and caregivers, pictured above.

Quinton Macon, celebrates his 96th birthday today

Above, children and adults were treated to Nana T Storytime during Franklinton's Arbor Day Springfest festivities last Saturday. The event featured live music, tree and flower plantings, and a litter sweep. The town also showed off its new ladder truck with a paper plane launch from the top of the apparatus. Franklinton is a Bee and Tree City, committed to protecting trees and pollinator habitats.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners declined awarding a bid for utility project, but they did agree to move forward with improvements at Franklinton Park.
Commissioners also agreed to move forward with renovations at Franklin Plaza to house public works, permanently, and the register of deeds on a temporary basis.
The actions came during the board's April 6 meeting.

THE ARTS. Above, Ishah Justice, left, shows off a piece of jewelry to Joy Justice, right, as vendor Erin Heller, center, looks on. Collective Arts of Franklin County hosted the Burg Arts Fest in downtown Louisburg.