Recent Articles

Franklin County commissioners have just attempted the most unprofessional, irresponsible, deceitful, disrespectful, government-by-ambush scheme in the history of this county. And perhaps this entire state.
They should be ashamed!
As you've read elsewhere in this edition, the commissioners have attempted a "sneak attack" to get water from Kerr Lake and, in the process, have not only embarrassed themselves and this county by their ineptitude, they have made enemies throughout the region.

I'm not a lawyer, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
But, I've been around enough courthouses and enough lawyers to know better than to ask a question for which you don't know the answer.
But, here I am.
So, back in March, Gov. Josh Stein announced and kicked off his Rural Listening Sessions Tour.

Dear editor: How much does honesty and transparency cost in Franklin County?
We've all heard the old saying, "follow the money." Usually, if you follow the money trail long enough, you eventually find the answers. But in Franklin County, that's hard to do when so much seems to happen in the shadows.

Dear editor: There is, on average, a mass shooting in the U.S. every day. They are so common, most of them hardly make the news anymore.
But the Sandy Hook school shooting, which killed 20 first-grade children and six adults 13 years ago, still stands out as an exceptional horror.
Is there any greater fear a parent can have than that something similar could happen to their child?

Dear editor:
A lone 31-year-old California Democrat took a 75 hour Amtrak train ride to Washington, D.C.
Packed away in his baggage were a shotgun, handgun and several knives. He checked into a 10th floor room of the Washington Hilton Hotel booked in March shortly after the announcement that President Trump would attend the Whitehouse Correspondents' Dinner there.

The strawberry is a beautifully sweet, aromatic, fiber-rich fruit packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Strawberries are one of the most well-liked fruits on the market, with a naturally delicious flavor and lots of nutrition to offer.
It's easy to see why strawberries fit perfectly into a healthy lifestyle. They're an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese and also contain decent amounts of folate (vitamin B9) and potassium.

BUNN -- The price of everything is going up, including the cost of providing service to the town's residents.

As a result, the town is proposing to raise taxes by 10 cents, from 45 cents per $100 of valuation to 55 cents per $100 of valuation.

"We decided to go to 55 cents," Mayor Marsha Strawbridge said following the board's April 6 budget work session, a session that started with a staff recommendation of increasing taxes by 5 cents per $100 of valuation.

HENDERSON, NC -- Cora Helen Fuller Driver, 93, passed away on April 24, 2026 at Kerr Lake Nursing Home in Henderson, NC.

Conway, SC -- Ricky Thomas Nowell, 68, of Conway, SC and formerly of Franklinton, NC, passed away on April 25, 2026. Ricky was born in Franklin County, NC on March 26, 1958 to the late John Thomas and Anne Rose "Patty" Perry Nowell.

Franklinton, NC -- Thomas "Wayne" Harris of Franklinton, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on April 26, 2026, at the age of 79. He was born on November 14, 1946, to the late Thomas Junious Harris and Dorothy Evans Harris in Franklin County, NC.

Franklinton, NC -- Blanche Earl Lynch, age 87 of Franklinton, daughter of the late John and Elnora Davis, was born on October 13, 1938, in Franklin County, NC. Blanche died Sunday morning, April 19, 2026.

Louisburg, NC -- Debra Crabtree Dickerson, 70, of Louisburg, died Sunday afternoon, April 26, 2026 surrounded by her loved ones.

Elon, NC -- Martha Lou Foster Harper passed away peacefully at her home on April 26, 2026, after a brief illness, surrounded by the love of her family.

Louisburg, NC -- Thomas John Reghanti, 73, passed away on April 21, 2026 at home in Louisburg, NC. Thomas was born on December 24, 1952 in Chicago, IL to the late Thomas Jules and Violette J. Reghanti.

Louisburg, NC -- John Paul Waikas, lovingly known as "Cadillac Jack," passed away peacefully on April 11, 2026, in Louisburg, North Carolina, at the age of 84.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Dan Roswell Ellis, 78, of Louisburg, passed away unexpectedly at his home, April 21, 2026.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Louisburg Town Administrator Sean Medlin received the Credentialed Manager designation from ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.
Medlin is one of more than 1,300 local government management professionals currently credentialed through the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program.

Franklin County Relay for Life volunteer event chair Danette Cheatham poses during the Franklin County Relay for Life cancer survivor dinner at Franklinton High School last month. The Franklin County Relay for Life main event will be held this Friday, April 24 at FHS, from 6 until 10 p.m. Survivors, caregivers and teams will walk the first lap at 6:15 p.m. For a full schedule, see the Relay for Life B section in today's edition. It's not too late to donate. All money will go to the American Cancer Society, to help the fight against cancer.

LOUISBURG -- A Franklinton neighborhood has asked Franklin County leaders to draw the line.
Specifically, a Glenn Street resident has asked leaders to keep a line -- and rowdy neighbors -- from continuing to destroy their peace and quiet.
During the Franklin County Board of Commissioners April 6 meeting, Glenn Street resident Jennifer Moody explained the dilemma that she and a dozen of her Glenn and Collins street neighbors live with:

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners approved a fairly status-quo budget, but there was one call for a tax decrease and another call for town officials to think beyond downtown.
Commissioner Judy McArn was the only commissioner to vote against the $4.2 million spending plan, reiterating the same call she made for a tax decrease during the board's budget work session in March.

LOUISBURG -- The cases against four suspects accused of killing a 69-year-old woman in a drive-by shooting remain pending -- two of them have already been declared exceptional.
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.

Kinsley Hockaday during Relay for Life dinner

LOUISBURG -- A Henderson man arrested on attempted killing charges is slated to appear in court this week.
Louisburg police allege Alphonso Jermain Kingsberry shot at Vernon Hicks, who was driving a car at the time of the March 2025 incident.
Authorities arrested the 39-year-old in November, charging him with assault with intent to kill, discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle, and injury to personal property.