Recent Articles

Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start awarded grants to operators of early child care centers, which help to improve the learning environment for children.

Louisburg, NC -- Renee Reese Smith, 54, of Louisburg, died Saturday evening, January 31, 2026, surrounded by her family at her home.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Joseph Alec Hartsfield, age 66, who died on Sunday, February 1, 2026, will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 2 p.m. from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

Wake Forest, NC -- Funeral services for Johnny Edward Tanner, Sr., age 78, who died on Friday, January 30, 2026, will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 12 p.m. from the Greenfield Baptist Church in Creedmoor, NC with Rev. Melvin Baker, officiating.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Carrie Bell Kearney Brodie, 94, of Franklinton, was born July 27, 1931, in Franklinton, North Carolina, to the late Vincent Levi Kearney and Ruth Parrish Kearney. She died January 14, 2026, at her home.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Michael King Jolly was born on September 9, 1953 in Raleigh, NC, and was raised in Louisburg, NC by his parents, Wilbur and Sybil Jolly. He died January 28, 2026.

Sarah Ann Johnson Pearce, 96, passed away on February 02, 2026 at Hillside Nursing in Wake Forest, NC. Sarah was born on July 21, 1929 to the late Charlie and Birtie Ray Johnson. In addition to her parents, Sarah was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Pearce and her eight siblings.

Louisburg, NC -- Sherry Stell Bell, 64, of Louisburg passed away on January 30, 2026 at SECU Hospice House in Smithfield, NC. Sherry was born on September 19, 1961 in Wake County to the late Bobby and Patricia Powell Stell.

LOUISBURG -- Thousands lined one of the county's main thoroughfares as the Walk for Peace made its way through Franklin County on Monday.
The Buddhist monks are on a 2,300 mile walk to the Nation's Capital, hoping to inspire reflection and positive change along their journey.
They certainly left those vibes with folks who gathered along U.S. 401/Bickett Boulevard in Franklin County to see the procession make its way north through Franklin County.

The weather outside may feel a great deal like the dead of winter but that isn't stopping local Girl Scouts from their annual cookie sales drive. Whether you prefer the slogan "It's cookie season!" or perhaps "It's cookie time," young scouts are out there with sweet treats to sell. Shown here at one of the recent sales booths are Josephine Stover (left) and Sonia Gray. They are both members of Girl Scout Troop 508 of Louisburg. Both young ladies are Cadets with the Scouts.

UP CLOSE. Above, Aubrey Fuller, right, holds a flower she got from the passing monks. Fuller was there with her mother, Dalnajia Thomas, and sister, Kay Fuller.

LOUISBURG -- Three suspects arrested during a State ALE investigation at Bunn Tavern are slated to appear in court the next two months.
The case against the proprietor has been dismissed, and the case against another employee was disposed of as part of a guilty plea.
Bunn police, acting on a community tip, brought in State Alcohol Law Enforcement agents, as well as deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office to conduct an undercover investigation at the bar.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County and the region avoided significant damage from Winter Storm Fern.
But, the rush of freezing rain, sleet and snow on Saturday night and early Sunday morning shut down some town and county governments, and schools for a a day or two.
And, there were few more than a dozen power outages reported.

Dr. Nakia Hardy takes the oath of office, officially becoming superintendent of Franklin County Schools. Holding the Bible is her mother, Mildred Hardy, while Board of Education attorney Boyd Sturges administers the oath. Dr. Hardy succeeds Dr. Rhonda Schuhler who retired at the end of 2025 following eight years at the helm of the county's largest employer

Mark Speed & Nicholas Thorpe

Monks walked quietly through Louisburg on their journey for peace

Louisburg resident Sue Guerrant greets the walkers with a sign wishing them "Namaste," a Sanskrit word that is a respectful way of greeting and honoring someone in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism

Crowds greeted the walkers as they made a turn onto Wade Avenue en route to the Louisburg fire station for a brief rest before continuing their journey northward

That was one ugly storm!
Fortunately, it wasn't nearly as bad as the Raleigh TV prognosticators breathlessly forecast for days -- but it was more than enough for me.
Out our way in Greater Metropolitan Mapleville, we got maybe quarter of an inch of ice on trees and shrubs and about that much plus a light dusting of snow on the ground.
It's what is normally called a "wintery mix" of precipitation -- and it was enough to shut down much of Franklin County on Saturday evening and through Sunday.

To say that January 2026 has pretty much slid past us like Bobby Drake dashing down an ice slide is an understatement.
While there have been days where endless ice storm forecasts may have made it seem like January was taking forever, in reality, we say goodbye to the first month of 2026 on Saturday.
Then, February starts and, in a few weeks, early voting for the spring primary starts.
That's right, because nothing says turning on the heat like the potential for primary battles during a mid-term election ... especially in today's political climate.

Dear editor: I am writing to applaud you, our Editor, for your recent work of historical fiction appearing in the "My Turn" column of the January 15, 2026 edition of The Franklin Times. You titled your opinion piece, "Those who go looking for trouble, often create it!"
As a retired law enforcement officer with 25 years of local and federal experience, I respectfully take issue with your simplistic view of law enforcement officers in general and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in particular.

Dear editor: After J.D. Vance announced last week that ICE agents have "absolute immunity," it was almost inevitable that more killings would follow.
ICE thugs murdered 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, in the street after he tried to help a woman whom agents had shoved to the ground.
Trump officials, who lie like the rest of us breathe, immediately tried to justify the execution, just as they did after Renee Good was murdered, but their lies are contradicted by video and sworn affidavit testimony.

Franklinton, NC -- Funeral services for Towanda R. Bobbitt, age 62, who died on Thursday, January 8, 2026, will be held on Saturday, January 31, at 11 a.m. from the Mitchner's Grove Baptist Church in Louisburg, NC.