FRONT PAGE
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
YOUNGSVILLE — Commissioners and staff really want to know what its residents think.
Staff has sent out a survey and made it available online, asking residents to weigh in on issues ranging from quality of life, to economic development, to the quality of town government.
The goal is to use the input in the town’s ongoing efforts to develop a Capital Improvement Plan, as well as a Comprehensive Development Plan.
A TIME OF GIVING. Allen de Hart (left) with Ferrum College’s director of gifts George Seals. (Contributed photo)
For the second time in less than a year, Louisburg area resident Allen De Hart has made a gift of botanical gardens he created to a college, thus ensuring its preservation for future generations.
Educator, author, philanthropist and a Ferrum College alumnus, de Hart recently gifted the 172-acre DeHart Botanical Gardens in Patrick County, Va., to Ferrum College.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
The state and national unemployment rates have decreased.
A report expected to be released next week will reveal whether Franklin County followed suit.
According to the State Department of Commerce, North Carolina’s seasonably adjusted rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 9.1 percent in November — the most recent data available.
During the same time frame, the national rate fell from 7.9 percent to 7.7 percent.
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
LOUISBURG — Those in the solid waste industry say that illegal dumping is not a victimless crime.
They also want perpetrators to know it’s not an untraceable one, either.
“It can be easy to trace,” said county Solid Waste Director John Faulkner. “We get scattered calls about it, or if I see it and can find an address (in the trash) I can issue a fine.”
Brianna & Lachelle Gatson
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS
HAPPY NEW YEAR! And I can say that with great enthusiasm, primarily because by the time you receive this edition of The Times, we’ll have the holidays behind us and we can get back on regular schedule here at the Times office once again.
He’s done it again!
That’s twice — this year alone.
And even that ignores all the other positive things he’s done over the years — but this, twice in one year!
If you’ve read page 1 of this edition, you’ve probably already figured out that we are talking about Allen de Hart.
I’m not much for making New Year’s resolutions.
But I have no problem telling you what I’d like to see in 2013.
And what I’d like to see in 2013 is our Franklin County Board of Commissioners, with scissors in hand, cutting the ribbon on a new, natural park.
OBITUARIES
LOUISBURG - Barbara Foster Burnette passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Sunday, December 30th, 2012.
ROCKY MOUNT - Donnie Qualls Denton went home and reunited with the love of her life on Thursday, December 27th, 2012. She was born to John Kelly and Dolly Mae Qualls on August 9th, 1934 in Nash County.
LOUISBURG - Jeannette Peterson Arnold Lord, known to her friends and family as Jeannette, died December 30, 2012. Born to Mr. and Mrs. Donald Peterson of Smithfield, NC on March 7, 1919, Jeannette grew up in Smithfield where she attended elementary and high school.
FRANKLINTON -- Cleo Riggan Ball, 84, died Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, at Franklin Regional Medical Center.
Carolyn Lavonne Radford, 72, of Wilson died Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, at her home.
KITTRELL - Eleanor Fowler Dickens, 87, died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 at Louisburg Nursing Center in Louisburg. A private burial was held Monday, Dec. 31, at the Ebenezer United Methodist Church cemetery.
RALEIGH - Barbara J. Page, 67, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012 at Wake Medical Center in Raleigh. Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 31, at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church in Wake Forest. Burial followed in Carolina Biblical Gardens in Raleigh.
SMITHFIELD - George Omega Davis, 55, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2012.
FAYETTEVILLE —John T. Davis Jr., 84, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. He had been at the state Veteran’s Home for two years.
SPORTS
TOUGH MOVE TO THE BUCKET. Bunn’s Tavon Perry (with ball) drives to the basket during the Wildcats’ home game against Wake Forest-Rolesville last Saturday as part of the Bunn Christmas Tournament.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
BUNN -- If Gerald Melton could use theme to describe the first half of Bunn’s boys basketball season, it would be consistency.
Or lack thereof.
During last week’s action at the Bunn Christmas Tournament, Melton saw his club take on a trio of Class 4-A foes, including a first-round victory against Fuquay-Varina.
ONE-ON-ONE DUEL. (L to R) Bunn’s Keella Gallatin and Wake Forest-Rolesville’s Kenyatta Harris during last Saturday’s hoops event at the Bunn Dome.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
BUNN -- With a trio of high-profile opponents on the horizon, Bunn girls coach Benj Daniels would have been more than thrilled with two victories at the annual BHS Christmas Basketball Tournament.
Daniels got his wish as the Ladycats bested powerhouses Kinston and Wake Forest-Rolesville as part of the four-team event, which concluded last Saturday at the Bunn Dome.
By:
GEOFF NEVILLE, Times Sportswriter
HENDERSON -- Franklinton appears to be peaking at the right time in its quest to earn a spot in the Class 2-A Girls Basketball State Playoffs out of the competitive Northern Carolina Conference.
When NCC play resumes this week, the Lady Rams will be on a two-game winning streak courtesy of a pair of decisions at last week’s Southern Vance Holiday Classic.
Before the season, Bunn’s Tank Williams was considered to be on track to make a run toward a possible championship at the Class 2-A State Wrestling Tournament -- which would be a first in BHS school history.
Nothing has happened so far to dissuade that theory.
Last weekend, Williams and his Wildcat teammates traveled to Orange County to take part in the prestigious Tiger Holiday Wrestling Classic at Chapel Hill High School.
Bunn’s Tainasha Vines (left) scores in the paint last Saturday versus Wake Forest-Rolesville as part of the Bunn Christmas Tournament.
Bunn’s Malik Finley (with ball) drives into the paint for the Wildcats during last Saturday night’s home contest against Wake Forest-Rolesville.
SCHOOLS/EDUCATION
LOUISBURG — The Franklin County Community Foundation has announced the availability of small grants to teachers in Franklin County from its Education Fund.
The mini-grants program was established to encourage creativity in effective teaching throughout the Franklin County School System.
COMMUNITY NEWS
By:
CAREY JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
LOUISBURG — A Franklinton man is looking to blaze a new future in law enforcement while leaving a criminal background behind.
Karcina Cannady, 43, recently received his Criminal Justice diploma from the Stratford Career Institute of St. Albans, Vt. — an online correspondence school.
WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh has announced restricted visitation guidelines in an effort to protect patients, visitors and employees from the one of the harshest flu seasons to hit the state in the past decade.
“As health care providers, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect our patients from the spread of illness,” commented Dr. West Lawson, WakeMed’s chief medical officer.
The house of a Pilot firefighter’s parents burned to the ground Saturday and two Nash County firefighters were injured battling the blaze.
The injuries were not believed to be life threatening, fire officials said.
According to Nash County officials, two residents escaped without injury before firefighters arrived about 10:50 a.m. on Saturday to battle the blaze at a home along old U.S. 64 near Worth Road outside Spring Hope.
Franklin County sheriff’s deputies are looking for suspects who broke into a car, stealing a semi-automatic rifle.
Todd Palmer reported the afternoon of Dec. 22 that someone broke into an unlocked truck parked in the 200 block of Spencers Gate near Youngsville.
