Archives

LOUISBURG -- A member of the county's rescue community questioned commissioners about continued shortcomings in its radio system.
Scott Strickland, a member of the defunct Bunn Rescue Squad, told commissioners that the county's multi-million dollar emergency communications system remains flawed.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County Commission Chair Sidney Dunston announced Monday night that he won't seek re-election next year.
For the first time since 2004, residents in District 1 will have someone new representing them on the Board of Commissioners.
"... It's an honor to serve with each one of you and I'm proud of what we've achieved and I'm very proud of my leadership role in these achievements," Dunston told his fellow commissioners toward the end of the board's meeting on Monday night.

LOUISBURG -- Whether you wanted to see a horse race, a horse dance, rescue a youngster or carry around an archer, the county's annual Horse Farm Tour was the place to be.
The 24th iteration of the annual Cooperative Extension event took equine enthusiasts from a farm just outside of Youngsville where tourists learned about how horses aid in search and rescue and how youngsters learn about horse archery; to a black-owned former tobacco farm in Wendell that now features horse racing, bull riding and concerts for a growing Hispanic community; to a Bunn-area farm that teaches some of the best dressage in the state.

LOUISBURG -- Maria Parham Health is set to celebrate a construction milestone today as they countdown the months to completing a behavioral health unit that broadens health care at their Louisburg location.
The Henderson-based health care operation, a partner with Duke Lifepoint, opened its Maria Parham Franklin facility in October, bringing an emergency room and other health care back to Franklin County after Novant Health shut down its hospital in October 2015.

RALEIGH -- The governor vetoed a bill that would have required government customers to agree on rates before the dispensing of federal funds for regional water projects.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Alexander, who represents Franklin and Wake counties, has since been referred to the Senate's Committee on Rules and Operations.

Gabriel Hodge, 2

The news brief that popped up on my infernal cell phone Saturday was chilling -- a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas with confirmed dead, totals unknown at the moment.
This time, I feared it could be hitting close to home.
Donna's sister's son is a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso where he lives with his wife and 5-year-old, cute-as-a-button son.

A few weeks ago, a Franklinton resident questioned officials and staff about their absence at a long-standing summer camp for area youth.
For more than a decade, Martha Hunter, her family and allies in the community have offered a free summer camp for children in Franklinton, giving them some constructive and fun things to -- for free.

FRANKLINTON--Bessie Fuller Evans, 90, died Monday, Aug. 5, 2019 at Brantwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A visitation will be held for family and friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today, Thursday, Aug. 8, at Gentry-Newell & Vaughan Funeral Home, Oxford. A funeral service will be held Friday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m. at Popes Chapel Christian Church, 1237 Pocomoke Drive, Franklinton, officiated by the Rev. Don Ward. Family will receive guests at other times at Jean's home.

BUNN - Dale Murphy's first season as Bunn High School's head coach in 2018 proved to be an adjustment period for everyone involved -- including Murphy himself.
Still, BHS went 5-6 overall and qualified for the Class 2-AA State Playoffs while finishing in a tie for third place in the competitive Northern Carolina Conference.
The Wildcats werre successful despite fielding a young team, and part of Murphy's off-season reassessment included his decision to tinker with the coaching staff a bit.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg All-Stars represented Franklin County -- and the Town of Louisburg -- at the recent Tar Heel District Baseball Tournament at the Knightdale Community Park in Wake County.
The All-Stars, under the direction of veteran head coach Eugene Yarborough, went 2-2 overall, dropping both contests to a strong club from Garner Baseball.

LOUISBURG -- After years of slow-but-steady progress, the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be coming into view for the Louisburg High School football program.
Coach Dontae Lassiter's rebuilding program has featured some tough times, but LHS won four games last fall while reaching the Class 1-AA State Playoffs.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton didn't receive much love at the annual Big East Conference Football Media Day -- but that's probably just the way FHS head coach Jimmy Williams likes it.
FHS shocked the league last year by finishing in third place overall and eventually reaching the second round of the Class 2-AA State Playoffs before falling at perennial powerhouse Havelock.

WINSTON-SALEM -- Mario Feliciano hit his league-leading 17th home run, Brice Turang tripled and scored a run and Payton Henry hit his 11th home run of the season, but the Carolina Mudcats ended up falling short in a series-clinching loss to the homestanding Winston-Salem Dash 7-5 on Sunday afternoon at BB&T Ballpark.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- North Carolina State University senior defensive lineman Larrell Murchison has been named to the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, which is given annually to the nation's top interior lineman.
One of college football's most prestigious awards, the Outland has been presented since 1946.

Parker Haake will return as an assistant football coach this season for the Bunn Wildcats. Haake is also in charge of BHS' conference championship wrestling program.

Former Louisburg High School football great Donte' Strickland is back on campus as an assistant coach. Strickland starred at LHS before playing at Carson-Newman University.

Dale Murphy (left) is returning for his second campaign as the head coach of the Bunn High School football squad. BHS went 5-6 last fall and finished tied for third place in the Northern Carolina Conference.

Charles and Phyllis Davis of the White Level Community celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at 2 p.m. at the White Level Baptist Church new Fellowship Building, with approximately 90 guests in attendance.
Charles and Phyllis (Long) Davis were married at Halifax United Methodist Church in Halifax, VA on June 7, 1969.

Members of the Rock Spring Baptist Church Bible Drill Team work to achieve church, association and state levels.
To accomplish these goals, the participants must have Bible knowledge skills, including various memory verses, key passages, books of the Bible and locating scripture, all within 10 seconds.

Equine enthusiast Mallory Fields

Richard Smith with McGill Associates

LOUISBURG -- College students Kelly Eakes and Tommy Fairbairn will complete 12-week professional internships with Tar River Land Conservancy (TRLC) this month.
Eakes and Fairbairn, who are juniors at NC State University, were selected for the summer internships following a competitive application and interview process.
Eakes and Fairbairn have balanced time in the field and the office during their time with TRLC.

HENDERSON -- Vance-Granville Community College swore in two new trustees, including a Youngsville resident.
Deborah M. Butler of Youngsville was appointed to serve on the college's governing board by the Granville County Board of Commissioners.
Butler is a retired school teacher with 40 years of experience in education.

HENDERSON -- Vance-Granville Community College has announced that 106 students earned President's List academic honors and another 126 earned Dean's List academic honors for the spring 2019 semester, while three earned such honors for the summer 2019 term.

FRANKLINTON -- The State Highway Patrol is investigating a motorcycle accident that included a fatality.
According to a report by Trooper D.J. Ball, David Lee Sledge, 65, was riding a Harley Davidson south in the 600 block of Pocomoke Road when he ran off the road, hit a ditch and was ejected from the motorcycle just after 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 3.

FRANKLINTON -- Police are investigating a series of vandalisms as a potential hate crime.
Police Chief John Green Jr. said officers responded to three vandalized buildings during the early morning hours of Aug. 6. Two of them, First Baptist Church and AME Zion Church, have African American congregations.

FRANKLINTON -- Police are looking for a suspect who eluded a checkpoint because he "cannot get another charge again," friends said.
According to authorities, officers were conducting a checkpoint the evening of Aug. 4 when an approaching Jeep Grand Cherokee blew threw the stop at the intersection of Pearce and Winston streets.

LOUISBURG -- A jury could determine this fall how much a pair of local, former cattle producers owe a midwestern company.
Last week, a superior court judge issued an order that, essentially, makes Dennis Boone and Raymond Boone liable for defrauding Iowa-based J&K Cattle out of more than 2,000 head of cattle and, allegedly, millions of dollars.

Neshona Bobbitt drives Latricia Richardson around in a DWI-simulation in Bunn as Trooper D.J. Ball looks on.

Pamela Perry and Michelle Bryant hand out iced treats.

Kingston Hodge grabs a backpack at Louisburg's National Night Out.

Sheriff Kent Winstead, right, poses with, from left, Zamari Alston, foreground, Journey Henderson, Zaiden Wright, Geraldine Manley, Jaya and Jacari Henderson.