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LOUISBURG -- Police arrested one suspect and continue to look for another man they allege shot and killed a Franklinton man.
But, even with a break in the case, police still don't know why Clarence Person Jr. was killed by a single gunshot wound on Jan. 18.
It was on that day that Franklinton police responded to what appeared to be a 911 hang-up call at Person's 16 Fairlane Avenue home.

Travel along Louisburg's South Main Street has been somewhat of a mess this week, a controlled mess, but a mess, thanks to two major projects, restoration of Depot Hill and installing lights on the bridge over the Tar River!
If anyone noticed guys laying flat on the sidewalk and looking over the edge of the bridge at the Tar River, an unusual sight on any day, it wasn't that they were about to jump, they were installing brackets and running cables to power the lights.

LOUISBURG -- Last month, animal advocates asked county commissioners to add more staff at the animal shelter.
On Monday, they asked them to add more hours at the shelter, too.
Their goal is to boost the chances for animals to be rescued, fostered or adopted and reduce the numbers that have to be put down.

LOUISBURG -- To be fair, E. Carroll Joyner has his name on a lot of things.
There's the park in Wake Forest.
There's the park in Louisburg named after his daughter.
And, his name graces a number of buildings at Louisburg College and his alma mater, NC State.

Louisburg College has announced the appointment of Dr. Bonnie Suderman as vice president of academic life and dean of faculty.
Dr. Suderman will serve as the chief academic officer for the college, having responsibility for educational policy, academic programs, the assessment of student learning, the advancement of student success, curriculum development and accreditation.

Louisburg College's Aaron 'Tank' Simmons

Your friends here at The Franklin Times may not be dinosaurs yet -- but we're certainly on the endangered species list, at least as far an independently owned newspapers are concerned.
With the recent sale of the Wake Weekly, we're now one of the last two independently owned newspapers in this entire region, a vast change from less than 30 years ago when virtually all the area's newspapers were independents -- and darn proud of it.

A couple of simple sentences recently spoke literally volumes about Franklin County and its future.
The sentences were crafted by ace Times reporter Carey Johnson and said simply:
More people.
More trash.

I must say, I was a bit disappointed.
But, to be fair, my history and civics teachers and professors would have been just as disappointed in me.
On Monday night, our county commissioners proclaimed that this will be the year that they celebrate the county's 240th birthday.
I was disappointed because there was no cake.

Dear editor:
First, I would like to thank Mary Creekmore for her beautiful letter two weeks ago in the Times. Yes, Mrs. Creekmore, God is the answer.
What has happened to this country? Some blame the political parties. In my opinion, the blame falls squarely on the church and pastors.

ZEBULON - Michael "Mike" Wayne Griffin, 65, died Monday evening, Feb. 4, 2019 at his home. A private family memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, in the chapel of Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, Louisburg.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College will feature a relatively new softball lineup this spring, with only three returnees back from last year's Region X regular season and tournament champions.
But despite the youth, the Lady Hurricanes have experience where it counts the most -- on the mound.

LOUISBURG -- Funny how Region X has always been known as a hitter's league -- but inevitably the team with the most pitching depth seems to find a way to come up with the championship at the tournament in May.
Such as been the case for the Louisburg College Hurricanes over the past few years as they have been blessed with a slew of talented hitters -- but not a deep pitching staff.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton made a bit of history during last Monday's Big East Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Lady Rams took first place in the girls standings in the inaugural event at the FHS Football Field.
FHS finished with 185 points to cruise to the triumph. Wilson Hunt was far behind in second at 106, followed by Rocky Mount (92), Northern Nash (62) and Wilson Fike (27).

LOUISBURG -- Even during a week that featured a pair of clutch victories, the frustration level continues to mount for the Louisburg College men's basketball squad under veteran head coach Neil Dixon.
During a season filled with near-misses and close losses, the Hurricanes finally broke through and returned the favor to an opponent during last Monday's home contest against rival Wake Tech CC at the Taylor Center.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklin County native and Franklinton High School Coach Clennie Wilkins has been delegated as the newest Board of Directors member for the North Carolina Track and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Wilkins will represent Region 1 of the State of North Carolina which includes the high schools in the Coastal Region of North Carolina.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats, the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and member of the historic Carolina League, have announced that individual game tickets for the upcoming 2019 season are now available for purchase by calling (919) 269-CATS (2287), by visiting carolinamudcats.com/tickets and at the Five County Stadium box office.

SUPPLY -- Louisburg College used a strong second half to claw back and defeat host Brunswick Community College last Saturday in Region X women's basketball action.
LC trailed 35-27 at halftime but recovered with a strong 28-18 spurt in the third quarter.

Louisburg College's Mallory Brooks (right) slides across home plate for a run in Game One of the Lady Hurricanes' home doubleheader last Saturday against Belmont-Abbey.

Louisburg College's Aaron 'Tank' Simmons makes a strong drive for a basket during last Saturday's home setback against region opponent Guilford Tech CC.

Louisburg College's Connor Kannon awaits a throw from the outfield as Phillip Boykin slides in safely during Saturday's baseball intrasquad scrimmage at Frazier Field.

CELEBRATING HERITAGE. Franklin County Arts Council's Diversity Team is inviting singers, musicians and poets to participate in an Open Mic Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16. The event celebrates Black History Month with a theme of "Moving Forward." It will be held at Muddy Mountain Art and Wine Bar, 348 S. Bickett Blvd., Ste 102 and starts at 2 p.m. The FCAC diversity team is made up of members who seek to sponsor arts opportunities to increase overall interest and participation in the culturally diverse community that is Franklin County.

During the awards ceremony at the North Carolina Farm Bureau annual convention, the Franklin County Farm Bureau Women's Committee was the recipient of the 2018 Women's Program Award. This award of excellence recognizes the women's committee which exemplifies the strength of Farm Bureau through voluntary efforts.

YOUNGSVILLE -- A man that state and local authorities questioned about apparent child sex crimes committed suicide last week.
According to Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright, agents with the State Bureau of Investigation and deputies with the county's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force went to James Prosser's Olde Liberty Drive home to speak with him on Jan. 31.

Former Louisburg resident, town councilman and well-known historical preservationist Dean Ruedrich died over the weekend in Durham following a battle with leukemia.
Ruedrich, who was 58, had a lifelong passion for the preservation of all things historic, from furniture to houses to monuments. He was one of only a few gravestone conservators in North Carolina.

BUNN -- Bunn said goodbye to its old police chief and hello to its new police administrator last week.
Chief Joe King's retirement took effect at the end of January and Steve Massey assumed his duties as the town's police administrator.
Bunn commissioners tabbed Massey as interim police administrator following a Jan. 29 closed session.

The sign on the corner of S. College and W. Main Streets in downtown Youngsville tells passersby that something new has just opened its doors. What the burgundy and white Benchmark Community Bank sign does not tell you is that the name brings old-fashioned community bank values to the people and businesses of the area.