Recent Articles

Dear editor; I woke up on Easter Morning to the wonderful news that our military had rescued the second downed airman in Iran.
The first airman was rescued soon after the F15E fighter jet was shot down and about 48 hours later the second airman was rescued. The effort and ability of our military to find these young service members behind enemy lines is amazing. The news really made this Easter even more special.

Dear editor:
Here's a link is to another newspaper story on Franklin County's Kerr Lake water requests: https://www.lakegastongazette-observer.com/news/article_417fd580-2a48-4a88-8515-d70b96b16731.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
Being the second-fastest growing County in North Carolina why doesn't Franklin County invest in building regional water reservoirs since it's such a large county?
Franklin County has been paying twenty thousand dollars monthly since 2022 to secure Kerr Lake water rights. What are the results so far if any?

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Louisburg man in a stabbing incident.
According to the arrest warrant, authorities allege John Randolph Addington stabbed Michael Johnson with a knife, inflicting serious injury.
According to emergency management authorities, the victim was stabbed several times during the April 12 evening attack and was transported to Maria Parham Franklin before being airlifted to WakeMed, where he was being treated for life threatening injuries.

LOUISBURG -- A restaurant was expected to re-open on April 15, nearly a week after an electrical fire shut it down.
Louisburg firefighters were dispatched to the Waffle House on Bickett Boulevard just before 7:30 a.m. on April 9 when smoke was reported coming from the roof.
Once on scene, crews saw smoke coming from the HVAC unit on the roof and were able to begin attacking the small fire with the aid of their ladder truck, said Louisburg Fire Capt. Ricky Johnson.

WAKE FOREST -- Wake Electric is calling on local educators to submit their "Bright Idea" for a chance to bring their dream classroom project to life. The local electric cooperative is awarding grants of up to $3,000 to enhance educational experiences through creative and engaging projects. Teachers can apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.
"We're proud to invest in the communities we serve, and grants for local educators are a direct way we're able to do that," said Kirk Metcalf, Wake Electric's vice president of member services and human resources.

LOUISBURG -- While his motion to dismiss remains pending, attorneys for Sheriff Kevin White have denied the most damning allegations against him in a defamation lawsuit filed by a former county manager.
In October, Raleigh attorney J. Heydt Philbeck filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Civil Superior Court, alleging that White defamed Kimberly Denton in a political power move that cost the manager her job in November 2024.

BUNN -- Town commissioners handled some odds and ends at their last meeting, including getting an update on cemetery operations -- and approving the swap of two plots.
Last fall, the town agreed to have their old cemetery surveyed, giving them the accurate measurements to free up land for 68 new graves, town cemetery manager Randy Mullen told commissioners during the board's March 2 meeting.

FRANKLINTON -- Town management is preparing a fairly status quo spending plan. But, any thoughts of lowering the tax rate are hampered by residential development that's being slowed by water allocations.
During a March 31 budget work session, Town Manager Zach Steffey presented commissioners with a $4.2 million spending plan that reflected, among other things:
• A local match of $75,000 for the Franklinton to Novonesis Rail Trail.

OUT AND ABOUT. Above, volunteers took part in the 6th annual Greater Youngsville Cleanup & Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, picking up trash from along the side of roads in and around the town. Dozens of volunteers took part in the community-wide effort that began at the Burnt Barrel meet-up location, and spread throughout and to the corners of town.

WILMINGTON -- A Franklinton man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for selling drugs that lead to a death.
Authorities arrested Ahmod Maliq Talley in June, three days after they allege the drugs he sold resulted in a fatal overdose.
The release did not reveal details about the decedent. And, a check of the state criminal system did not reveal a corresponding case file.
But, according to the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, after the death, Franklin County sheriff's deputies and agents of Homeland Security investigated the matter, determining that Talley sold fentanyl to the victim three days before the death.

Franklinton, NC -- Mary Alice Perry, age 69, of Franklinton was born on October 25, 1956, in Granville County, NC to Alice Marie Perry Scott and the late Winford McCoy Scott. She died March 30, 2026, at her home in Franklinton, NC.

Louisburg, NC -- Rachel Piper Dement, 79, of Louisburg, died Monday, April 13, 2026, at her home. She was born on October 15, 1946, to the late Johnny and Louise Frazier Piper in Franklin County, NC.

Hollister, NC -- Funeral services for Delois E. Lynch, age 86, who died on Sunday, April 12, 2026, will be held on Monday, April 20, at 12 p.m. from the Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Warren County, NC with Pastor Willie Silver officiating. Burial will follow in the Lynch Family Cemetery.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and child advocates are asking folks to help its most vulnerable citizens. Department of Social Services Director Andrew Payne, and leaders within the Health Department, the Library, county management and other departments, kicked off the month of awareness by planting pinwheels at the Franklin County Courthouse, libraries and the Franklin County Human Services Building on Industrial Drive. The pinwheels are designed to reflect light and capture people's attention, serving as a reminder to be vigilant against child abuse, reporting it whenever suspected.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners agreed to give the sheriff, Lake Royale leaders and residents, and county management the time and space to work out an agreement by which the sheriff's office could provide dedicated coverage at the lake.
That agreement will need to be presented to commissioners for final action.
"I personally am comfortable with this taking a little while to be understood," said Commission Vice Chair Michael Schriver.

Above, Down Home's Ashley Sanneh, as Marie Antoinette, puts on a performance in front of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' meeting space on Monday. The play was designed to highlight the impact that cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill will have on the working class. They also urged county commissioners to adopt a resolution by which they would reveal the impact of state budget cuts to public services, like education and health care, and how local government would cover those shortfalls. The effort is part of their "Fund the Future" campaign.

RALEIGH -- The North Carolina Supreme Court issued a ruling last Thursday that could cost Franklin County Schools an estimated $22 million in long-anticipated revenue designated to help achieve educational parity with more wealthy districts.
The court, in a 4-3 ruling led by Republican justices, set aside an important 2022 ruling when the court, which then had a Democratic majority, ruled that a lower court judge had the authority to order that taxpayer money be directed to reduce long-standing education inequities.

HENDERSON -- A Franklin County Early College High School student was recognized for academic excellence.
Ann Sheteiwy was named among the 2026 North Carolina Community Colleges Academic Excellence Award winners.
She is Early College student at Vance-Granville's Franklin Campus and is set to graduate this spring with her high school diploma and Associate in Science degree.
Though she has always aimed for perfection, an advanced mathematics course challenged her perspective.

FRANKLINTON -- The Franklinton Area Community Theatre is set to put on its spring performance: Alice in Wonderland Jr.
Alice in Wonderland Jr. is a fast-paced, family-friendly musical adventure.
The FACT show follows Alice as she falls down the rabbit hole into a whimsical world filled with unforgettable characters like the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and Queen of Hearts.

Sovereign Le Bey, almost two

Above, Down Home's Ashley Sanneh, as Marie Antoinette, is aided by Rosemary Champion as they put on a performance in front of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' meeting space on Monday. Members said it was an opportunity to hear directly from rural residents about the stakes of policy decisions, like the One Big Beautiful Bill, and state budget cuts. It was also part of the group's growing call for accountability and transparency from local government.

Franklinton Area Community Theatre players, from left, Myles Tambling (King of Hearts; Caleb Lawrence (Caterpillar); Hazel Zimmermann (Small Alice); Emily Hanson (Alice); Mililani Allen (Tall Alice); and Anna Harris (Queen of Hearts) join others in a run through of Alice in Wonderland Jr. The community theater group will be putting on a performance of the musical the weekend of April 17.

Spring has arrived in Franklin County -- complete with typical temperatures that yo-yo from almost summer-like one day to downright chilly a day or two later.
As usual for this time of the year, the winds have been brisk -- and that keeps tons of pollen stirred up, which may be good for plants but isn't much fun for those with seasonal allergies.
But what is most noticeable this year is the fact that it is very, very dry -- and that the few showers most of us have received have been far too little and far too short to change that very much.