Recent Articles

Dear editor: In his recent letter on Bonhoeffer's "theory of stupidity," Robert Strickland warns that people can surrender their critical faculties to power, propaganda, and emotionally charged narratives. Yet he conveniently overlooks his own statements in prior letters which shows a heavy reliance on the very same devices he condemns.

Dear editor:
Mr. Day wrote last week that he is afraid "progressive propaganda" will lead to national chaos. The chaos is already here, but it isn't coming from progressive propaganda, it's coming from the lawless actions of the Trump administration.
Day wishes us to believe that due process is "malleable," and that federal district courts have no authority to intervene in detentions undertaken by Trump or Bondi.

Dear editor: Well, it's been two weeks now since the tragedy on Hickory Rock Road.
A man loses his home, his pet is missing and the terrible loss that was the death of Dale Malone.
Dale was a symbol of the heart, soul and breath of White Level Fire Department.

LOUISBURG -- Authorities continue to look for a suspect who led police on a chase and search that, so far, has turned up fruitless.
The suspect is not considered to be armed or a safety threat, though.
"My belief," Louisburg Police Chief Travis Lincoln said, "is that he was just trying to get away from law enforcement."
According to Lincoln, a Louisburg police officer noted a vehicle traveling at excessive speed on N.C. 56 and Woodbine Drive, heading out of town at about 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

FRANKLINTON -- A Henderson man was killed in a head-on collision Tuesday morning.
Mitron Antonio Terry, 29, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
According to State Highway Patrol Sgt. J.K. Legan, Terry was driving a Nissan Altima west along N.C. 56 near Sterling Drive when he crossed the center line just after 5 a.m.

Dear editor: In 1973 Bob Dylan wrote a song titled "Knockin' on Heavens door."
That song is one of the top 500 greatest songs of all times.
The song refers to difficult times and even death. In the lyrics of the song it states that a long black cloud is coming down.
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Dear editor: Once again, I am not sure I read all the recent letters Mr. Strickland submitted to this paper, but I am certain it has cured my appetite for reading.
I can only conclude that Trump Derangement Syndrome is real with some of the folks in this country. It does not seem to be a curable disease.
I worked with a guy years ago that said, "I know it is true, I read it in the News and Observer." That was long before the internet, but just as crazy. I might be going out on a limb, but I do not think you can believe everything you read on the internet. What a shock.

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners took action to make city streets safer.
And, they agreed to move forward with a project designed to improve downtown infrastructure and appearance.
Staff proposed turning six intersections into four-way stops, and reducing the speed limit to 20 mph on two streets.

FRANKLINTON -- Officials accepted an audit report that reflected a strong financial position for the town.
Joe Turchetti, an accountant with Raleigh-based PT CPA's PLLC presented the financial finding to town commissioners during the board's Feb. 17 meeting.
"This was a great audit this year," Turchetti said. "Your town ... had quite a successful year, financially."
PT CPA's issued the town a "clean" audit for the fiscal year ending June 2025, noting that there were no findings and no material weaknesses discovered.

LOUISBURG -- A Henderson man was indicted last week on a second degree murder charge -- more than a year after the fatal shooting.
A grand jury indicted Talib Na-Quan Alexander on Feb. 16, finding enough evidence to levy the charges following a November 2024 shooting.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested the 23-year-old Alexander a day after they allege he shot and killed Xavier Clifton of Bunn.
According to authorities, officers were dispatched to 547 N.C. 39 South at about 5 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2024 to investigate a shooting.

Dr. Oberlin McDaniel, left and NC State vet student Nicole Torres, provided some dental treatment for Rebel, a 27-year-old Tennessee WAlker, during an equine EIA/Coggins clinic on Feb. 14. In all, 11 horses were vaccinated during the annual event hosted by the Franklin County Cooperative Extension. The clinics provide opportunities for horse owners to save money on vaccination costs and Coggins tests. This was the first year a dental program was included with the EIA Clinic. Dr. McDaniel and her staff with the NC Mobile Veterinary Service of Enfield provided the service.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Gracie Mae "Ray" Wright Branch, age 101, who died on Monday, February 23, 2026, were held on Saturday, February 28, at 11 a.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial followed in the Haywood Church Cemetery.

Philadelphia, PA -- Funeral services for Henry Wadsworth Battle, Jr., age 84, who died on Saturday, February 7, 2026, were held on Sunday, February 22, at 12 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for John D. Wright, age 88, who died on Sunday, February 15, 2026, will be held on Monday, February 23, at 1 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg, NC with Rev. Stanley Hicks, officiating.

Jasper Enid Drake, lovingly known as Coach Drake, age 96, peacefully entered into eternal rest February 4, 2026, surrounded by love, prayer and song.

Hollister, NC -- Funeral services for Curtis Richardson, age 85, who died on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, will be held on Tuesday, February 24, at 1 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg. Burial will follow in the Richardson Family Cemetery.

LOUISBURG -- Just more than 2 percent of registered voters had cast an early ballot in Franklin County by press time.
According to the State Board of Elections, 1,220 voters had cast an early ballot by press time -- Wednesday morning.
At last check, there were 56,165 registered voters in the county.
Up until Feb. 28, those voters have a chance to cast an early ballot in the primary. Election day is March 3.

Dr. Peter Stapleton Foster (September 18, 1823 -- October 20, 1898), the builder of Oak Grove, came of age in the 1840s, at the beginning of a period of prosperity and progressivism in North Carolina and in the Warren and Franklin County area, where his extended family members owned large plantations, enslaved numerous people of African descent and purchased or built impressive homes.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County officials decided they and the community need a closer look at what an agreement between the county, Lake Royale and the Franklin County sheriff's office will look like.
Last month, the board authorized County Manager Ryan Preble to finalize an agreement whereby Lake Royale would pay money to support Franklin County Sheriff's Office law enforcement operations within the Lake.

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners denied a rezoning request that could have allowed a multi-family dwelling within a single-family home neighborhood.
Raleigh resident Thomas Keenan petitioned the board to rezone 16 S. Hillsborough Street from the Residential Single-Family Medium zoning district (RSM) to Mixed-Use.
With that change and an approved special use permit, Keenan would have been able to build a four-unit townhouse on the .2812 acre property.

Reginald Eli Hedgepeth

HENDERSON -- The Golden LEAF Foundation gave Vance-Granville Community College three quarters of a million dollars to help build a new Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Applied Technology (CAMAT).
The project will strengthen workforce training programs aligned with regional industry needs and expand access to high-wage career pathways.
Golden LEAF's Board of Directors announced the award during its February board meeting.

FRANKLINTON -- Police arrested a man on child sex charges.
Rene Sabillion Cardona was arrested Feb. 11 and was charged with indecent liberties with a child and simple assault.
According to the arrest report, the assault on the victim, under the age of 16, occurred on Feb. 11.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Since October, two communities have been helping fight the battle against hunger and food insecurity in Franklin County.
They're recruiting more into their ranks.
PORCH Communities is a grassroots organization, where each month, folks can leave non perishable food on their porch for pickup.
Volunteers then take that food and deliver it to a local food pantry.