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LOUISBURG -- The election is just days away, but already, thousands of people have cast a ballot in Franklin County.
Extended early voting hours, an extra Saturday and apparent voter interest have combined to make this an active election.
By press time, 10,525 early ballots had been cast.

FRANKLINTON -- On Aug. 5, 1968, a chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina ordered the complete desegregation of Franklin County's public schools.
That decision came just two months after Mabel Kingsberry was the first black person to graduate from what had been an all-white Franklinton High School.

Above, brother and sisters JR, Emily and Jordyn Autrey enjoyed downtown Franklinton. On Halloween, Youngsville and Louisburg hosted downtown trick-or-treat events. The Franklinton Police Department had a haunted house.

LOUISBURG -- Finance has two new faces in Franklin County.
Last week, Franklin County Manager Angela Harris announced Jamie Ross Holtzman as the county's new finance director.
She begins on Nov. 26.

LOUISBURG -- Take a little bit of today, add a healthy dose of yesterday and then a glimpse of what the future might hold and you've summarized the most recent meeting of the Tar River Center for Culture and History that was held at Alston-Anderson Funeral Home in Louisburg last Thursday evening.
The meeting featured "Tales of Yesterday" by Teo Anderson who recalled the challenges of growing up in Louisburg "back in the day."

Sandy McDonald & Kimberly Roark

Okay folks, time to dig through those old storage files, dresser drawers, closets, anywhere that old photographs or post cards of Louisburg might be found.
Plans are coming together for the restoration of Depot Hill -- and having a good visual image of what was actually there would serve two purposes.
Obviously, it would help make sure the building, its windows and doors and other features can be restored to how it originally looked.

We sincerely hope that reading the following paragraphs is purely an academic issue for you and your family -- and that neither you nor any member of your family has to do what this editorial suggests.
But as chilly fall weather has moved in -- and much colder weather looms sooner than most of us would like -- heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and various other devices are being put back into service and that raises the danger of fire.

In the last week before election day, I, Carey Johnson, have decided to bring back the long-lost practice of newspaper endorsements.
Back in the olden days -- okay, as recently as this election -- newspapers often used their research, contacts and gut to endorse candidates, whether in local, state or presidential races.

If someone in authority in a controlled and public setting told you to document your sexual orientation, how would you react to it?
I mean if they specifically asked you, are you bi-sexual, gay, fluid, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, prefer not to disclose, or do you self-identify.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton sought to make a statement this fall on the volleyball court -- both in the regular season and the playoffs.
The regular season box was checked when the Lady Rams rolled through the Big East Conference without a loss -- including their second consecutive league title.
FHS then rolled through the Big East Tournament and had plenty of confidence and momentum heading into the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

LOUISBURG -- Somehow, it was meant to be this way.
During the regular season, Louisburg and Falls Lake Academy met twice in non-conference volleyball showdowns -- and split the matches.
Falls Lake won the regular season opener for both clubs, but that would prove to be the last time the Lady Warriors were defeated -- a streak that has reached a lofty 27 matches.

BUNN -- The varsity volleyball season didn't go as hoped for the Bunn Ladycats, but the school's JV campaign was certainly one to remember.
Bunn claimed the Northern Carolina Conference JV Championship with a perfect 20-0 record under head coach Melanie Lovin.
The Ladycats showed plenty of talent and resiliency as they won at least four matches in three sets.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College wrapped up the home portion of its football schedule in style last Saturday with a 49-35 home decision over Hocking College from Ohio at Patterson Field on the Louisburg High School campus.
The homecoming triumph was the third in a row for LC, which upped its mark to 5-2 overall under veteran head coach Trevor Highfield.

LOUISBURG -- Visiting Bunn rolled out to a 22-point halftime cushion en route to defeating backyard rival Louisburg by a 43-20 total last Thursday in a key Northern Carolina Conference football matchup at Patterson Field on the LHS campus.
The Wildcats upped their mark to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the NCC heading into this Friday's important meeting at home with Roanoke Rapids -- a game that is destined to be loaded with playoff implications.

FRANKLINTON -- The Wilson Hunt Warriors (4-5) football squad rambled into Red Ram Stadium at Franklinton on homecoming last Thursday night and left with a 58-21 defeat at the hands of the Red Rams of FHS (7-2) before a festive crowd.
The Warriors' run game was contained in the second half, and Franklinton got a four-touchdown performance from Kendall Harris staking the Red Rams to a 20-7 halftime lead and they never looked back.

YOUNGSVILLE HEAT. The Akadema Heat 11-Under picked up a tournament championship recently at the Top Gun USA Zone Qualifier in Benson. The Heat won four games to take the title by a combined score of 43-8. Picture are (back, l to r) Brayden Driver, Will Holmes, Carson Crider, Peyton Rivers and Brady Collins; (front, l to r) Elijah Haynes, Cooper Nash, Justin Brown, Shawn Thomas Journigan and Owen Mitchell. (Photo Submitted)

SMYRNA, DEL. -- The North Carolina A&T women's cross country team continues to finish among the top teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
For the fourth straight year, the Aggies finished among the top-6 teams in the conference as they finished third last Saturday at the 2018 MEAC Cross Country Championships at the 5k course at Delaware State University Outreach and Research Center.

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina University baseball fans will get their first chance to meet the 2019 Pirates up close and personal on Nov. 4, as ECU will host its Fall "Meet the Pirates" Event at Lewis Field inside Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville.
With gates opening at noon, members of the Pirate Nation can come out and catch an intra-squad scrimmage, which will begin at 1 p.m. and is free to the public.

KRIS HANZER. This week's Miracle League of Franklin County Player of the Week is Kris Hanzer. Kris has been a fan fave for many years at The Miracle League. His infectious smile catches the eyes of many as he proudly steps onto the field with his bat in hand. Kris recently graduated from Franklinton High School.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dale of the Wood Community of Franklin County celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at Gardner's Barbecue & Chicken Restaurant in Rocky Mount.
Over 40 family members and friends were in attendance. The couple received many well wishes, gifts, and cards.

Mr. and Mrs. Wes Ragland of Louisburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Chelsea Ragland, to Justin Bell, son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Bell of Louisburg. A December wedding is planned.

FRANKLINTON -- The Franklinton Area Community Theatre begins its three-day run of "Once Upon a Mattress" tonight at Franklinton High School.
The musical comedy takes the fairy tale concept for a fun ride.
It's the latest performance for FACT, a nonprofit children's theater group founded in 2004 in Franklinton

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton is under new management.
And during Interim Town Manager Greg Bethea's first commission meeting on Oct. 16, change was in the air.
Staff will see it in the form or their workload.

FRANKLINTON -- Leaders in town are hosting a forum to gauge input on the town's future.
The town is working with community planners with NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center -- a division of the State Department of Commerce -- to develop a five-year strategic plan for economic development.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a former health department employee on embezzlement charges.
Deputies arrested Jacqueline Gardner Merrill on Oct. 26, alleging she ordered prescription medications through the health department for her personal use.
Authorities said a county official brought the transgression to their attention a few weeks ago and they made the arrest when they had the evidence to move forward with the charge.

A display of WWI killed, missing in action, wounded, students in training and all men that served during the war was recently displayed in the Franklin County Library Annex Building and is still available elsewhere.
Last Saturday, Oct. 27, information on the men's U.S. Draft Registration Cards, Services Cards, Burial Removable Cards, Franklin County Local Draft Board records, pictures of the men and pictures of their grave markers were on display.

CASTALIA -- Last week, the Northeast Franklin Revitalization Committee had money on their minds.
And, for Lyn Millhiser and Bob Sykes, their minds were on the money that's available to those looking to expand their businesses or bring people to an area of the county that's long been financially neglected.

Youngsville Mayor Fonzie Flowers, front row, second from right, takes part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Yacht Club Beverage House, a taproom located at 118 E. Main Street. Owners Stephanie Schenck, front, center, Brandon Schenck, third from left, are joined by, from left, Marek Wiktor, Jay Komthongpane, Rob Schenck, Wallace Martin, Flowers, Jess Clowar and Jan Kokoszka.