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Easter festivities
• Franklin County
Franklin County will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday, April 5, in Franklinton.
A specialized hunt will take place at 10 a.m. at the Franklinton Middle School gym, 224 Rams Way.

LOUISBURG -- "The Piano Men" is a musical celebration of the 1970's- year by year, hit by hit from the songbooks of Billy Joel and Elton John. The event will be held at the JPAC on Friday, April 11 as Award winning Canadian recording artist Jim Witter and his band lead a tour of an entire decade that begins with "Your Song" and winds along on a musical time machine, saluting two of the century's most popular contemporary songwriters.

It ended as we feared -- but not as we had hoped.
Last week, not long before press time, a search and recovery party managed to find the body of a 7-year-old child who had drowned in the Tar River and they returned the body to the family, giving them some degree of closure, at least.
What turned into a difficult, eight-day search began with the faint hope that it could be a rescue mission but as time quickly slipped past, the realization dawned that it would be a recovery mission.

Saying animal advocates are passionate about animal welfare is like saying water is wet or the UConn Huskies women's basketball team is in the Final Four.
It feels like a certainty or inevitability.
And, I'm not saying it's good or bad.
It just is.
The most recent meeting of the Franklin County Animal Services Board is an example.

Dear editor: When your community invests in you, you feel invested in your community.
That is something I hope our commissioners will consider as they are planning the 2026 budget. They have spent taxpayers' money and many man hours on studies to plan for the future of Franklin County.
I know of at least four studies in the last 10 years. The comprehensive plan for Franklin County was completed in 2020.

In an effort to promote business growth in Northeast Franklin County as well as Franklin County, NC in general, the Northeast Franklin Revitalization (NEFR) Group is offering a grant program to encourage new businesses and help expand existing small businesses under two years old and with a workforce of three or less.
The grant amount will be $650 each, awarded to ten small businesses to start or expand a small business in Franklin County.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Following a recent closed session, commissioners authorized town management to move forward with acquiring the final piece of right of way for the bypass through condemnation.
Commissioner Joe Johnson was not in attendance at the meeting, but the action passed by unanimous decision.
Staff said the right of way will clear the way for the Cedar Creek Extension -- a new section of Cedar Creek that would be straightened to extend south beyond Tarboro Road to connect with N.C. 96 heading out of town.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Lula Denton Bobbitt, age 100, of Franklinton, peacefully entered the gates of Heaven on March 29, 2025, because God needed another special angel to help care for all His adorable babies.

BALLSTON SPA, NY -- William Dexter Grice "Joe Ayscue," age 81, of Ballston Spa, NY, formerly of Franklinton, NC, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Rickey Charles Alvis, 82, of Louisburg passed away on Monday, March 31, 2025. He was born on October 29, 1942, to the late Charles Edward and Maxine Campbell Jones in Los Angeles County, California.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Diane Layton, 83, passed away on March 29, 2025 at her home in Louisburg, NC, surrounded by family.

RALEIGH, NC -- Mattie Green Reddick passed away peacefully of natural causes at age 98 on March 26, 2025 at her residence at The Rosewood Health Center (The Cypress) in Raleigh, NC. She was born in Youngsville, NC to Jack Allen Green, Sr. and Helen Hart Green. Mattie grew up in Youngsville and later graduated from Wake Forest College where she met her future husband, Harold Reddick. Mattie and Harold were married over 62 years and had a son, Harold (Rick) Reddick, Jr.

PILOT -- Parks and recreation staff and Franklin officials cut the ribbon on the county's only dog park.
Back in May, commissioners agreed to move forward with an acre dog facility at Pilot Lions park in southern Franklin County, tasking staff with using up to $130,000 to accomplish the task.
Ground was broken last summer and the ribbon cutting and official opening was March 20.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Youngsville police are hoping that folks holding onto the "olden days" can help them finish curating the history of the police department in the present.
The town is in the midst of celebrating its sesquicentennial, and as part of reflecting about the town's 150-year history, Officer Drew Cox began documenting the department's history.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Fire Marshal has issued a ban on open burning in Franklin County until the statewide burn ban has been rescinded.
Because of the continued hazardous fire conditions and the continuing drought, Franklin County Fire Marshal Trey Evans has issued a burn ban under the authority granted by the Franklin County Code of Ordinances regulating open burning.
The burn ban prohibits all open burning within the unincorporated areas of Franklin County that are within 100 feet of a structure.

Franklin County native Felecia Massenburg was recently recognized by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for her 50 years of sorority membership. The Induction to 'Golden Soror' celebration was held in Richmond, Va. where nearly 4,000 members of the sorority gathered for the 72nd Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference of the sorority.

The last few days around Franklin County have been very sad and frustrating for many folks.
A little boy, about 7 years old, apparently fell into the Tar River while playing with friends, according to authorities, and that began a frantic multi-day search, first for the little fellow and then for the recovery of his body.
I can't even begin to imagine the angst his parents and family members are feeling as this tragedy unfolds. It is beyond belief.

If you see Bernie Meader at the Franklinton Community Garden, in dusty jeans or maybe overalls, planting 'maters, you'd probably think he could trace his county roots back for several generations.
But, when you hear him say "gahden" and "you all" instead of garden and 'y'all,' you know he ain't from around here.
But, he and his wife have found a home and a purpose in Franklinton and the greater community -- making sure that folks who need fresh fruits and veggies get them.

Joe Newberry, who is perhaps best known as a clawhammer banjo player but is also a powerful guitarist, singer and songwriter, will perform his music and share stories of some of his favorite North Carolina musicians during a performance at 7 p.m. tonight, March 27, at the Norris Theater on the Louisburg College campus.
Newberry was a frequent guest on "A Prairie Home Companion: with Garrison Keillor and was a featured singer on the Transatlantic Sessions UK tour in 2016. He is planning to share stories about Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs and Charlie Poole during his local appearance.

A kitchen is widely recognized as the most popular room in a home. Though it might be true that the hustle and bustle of home life runs through the kitchen, many a memory is made in the living room as well.
Living rooms tend to be go-to spaces for family movie nights, game watches with fellow fans and places to gather during holiday celebrations. That's a lot of quality time spent in the living room, and those moments can be more enjoyable if the space is as comfortable as possible.

Backyards have undergone quite a transformation over the last decade-plus. The days when patios and decks were all a backyard living space had to offer are largely a thing of the past, as homeowners have realized just how valuable it can be to commit to a stunning backyard.
The real estate experts at Zillow estimate that homes with backyard features such as outdoor televisions, outdoor showers and outdoor kitchens command 3.1 percent more than expected upon reaching the market. If 3.1 percent doesn't sound like a lot, it actually equates to nearly $11,000 on a typical home.