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LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners committed to improving animal control operations after pet rescuer and shelter volunteers highlighted shortcomings they allege are costing animals their lives.
But, Commission Chair Sidney Dunston said residents and other interested parties shouldn't expect those changes with the snap of a finger.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklin County sheriff's investigators are looking for a suspect in a weekend shooting.
According to authorities, Marquis Copeland and Antione Steed got into an argument at a home on Cedar Hill Drive just before 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Franklin County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Terry Wright said Copeland, 35, pulled out a gun and shot Steed five times while he stood in the doorway.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County officials certified the Nov. 5 election, clearing the way for new municipal board members to take office next month.
The Nov. 15 canvassing produced only two changes in the final numbers as Youngsville Commissioner Joe Johnson picked up one vote and candidate Ronald Adkins lost one.

YOUNGSVILLE -- The town police department is under new management.
Town Administrator Phil Cordeiro chose Knightdale Police Lt. Greg Whitley as its new police chief.
Whitley was chosen from a field of 60 applicants, including Interim Chief Joseph Kimball, because of his two decades of experience in law enforcement and his credentials -- including an advanced law enforcement certificate, multiple instructor certifications, and formal training with federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

LOUISBURG -- A tractor trailer accident last Thursday morning snarled traffic on Bickett Boulevard, but the driver escaped serious injury
According to authorities, William M. Richardson, 45, of Hollister, was turning left from N.C. 56 to head north on Bickett Boulevard when a load of lumber he was transporting to Pruitt Lumber shifted just after 7:15 a.m.

Franklinton resident Jermaine Mitchell

There is something out of whack about the intersection of U.S. 401 and N.C. 56 West at the south side of Louisburg.
And that probably comes as no news to truck drivers, especially those who pilot the big rigs headed east on N.C. 56 and making the turn onto U.S. 401 north.
Last Thursday morning, with the temperature somewhere in the mid-20s, I got a call about yet another truck flipped over on its side at that intersection.

In my line of work, it literally pays to be nosy.
Certainly, it doesn't always make me a whole lot of friends, but I trust that people respect what I and other journalists try to do: bring people information they need to help them better understand the successes, failures, tragedies and triumphs within their communities.
When I started my career as the cops reporter at the Sun Journal in New Bern, doing that job wasn't always the easiest thing to do.

LOUISBURG--Alfred Lee Cooke, 54, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019 at Wake Med in Raleigh. Funeral services will be held Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m. at Bunn High School in Bunn. Burial will follow in the family cemetery in Louisburg.

LOUISBURG--Funeral services for Ernest Edward "Buck" Reed, age 80, who died on Monday, November 18, 2019, will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 2:00 from the Nelson Chapel Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. Thomas Richardson officiating. Burial will follow in the Nelson Chapel Church Cemetery.

WARRENTON-- Lewis Alston "Al" Thompson III, born in Franklinton on January 25, 1952, passed away peacefully at home on November 19, 2019. He was 67 years old. Al graduated from Franklinton High School, where he was valedictorian of his class, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English. Al attended Wake Forest University School of Law, where he met the love of his life and fellow law student, Susan.

CASTALIA--Funeral services for Roger Williams, 94, who died Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, will be held Monday, Nov. 25, at 1 p.m. at St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church in Warrenton, with the Rev. John Williams officiating.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg High School's softball program has been blessed with several outstanding pitchers through the years -- and Laine Barefoot will always be near or at the top of that prestigious list.
But Barefoot's prolific career won't end after she graduates from LHS next June. Instead, the Lady Warriors' senior star signed a letter-of-intent last Wednesday to join the fast-pitch program at Lipscomb College.

FRANKLINTON -- Even for the most positive fans, it was easy to wonder just how good the Franklinton High School volleyball squad would be this fall.
After all, FHS had just loss a massive, talented senior class -- and the Lady Rams were welcoming a new coach in Tom Harris.
Harris, a former assistant at Franklin Academy, was succeeding Crystal Barnes, who was the winningest coach in school history before moving on to Wake County before the 2019 campaign.

LOUISBURG -- You would be hard-pressed to find a long-time follower of the Terrell Lane Middle School football program who disagrees with the assessment that this current TLMS squad will go down as one of the greatest the school has ever produced.
Terrell Lane went undefeated this fall and capped off its Middle Athletic Conference championship with a 22-8 victory over Bunn last Wednesday in the regular season finale at Patterson Field on the campus of Louisburg High School.

BUNN -- Bunn High School enjoyed a record-setting girls tennis campaign this fall as the Ladycats went undefeated in the regular season and won the Northern Carolina Conference championship.
So it was no surprise that the Ladycats were well-represented on the All-NCC Girls Tennis Team for the 2019 season.

LOUISBURG -- Talent, familiarity and heart have teamed together to give the Louisburg Mighty Mites a record-setting year this fall in the East Wake Football League.
The current group of Mighty Mites has been together for five years now under the direction of coaches Lamont Hunt (a former star at Louisburg High School) and William Lynch.

ZEBULON -- Carolina Mudcats' 2020 season tickets as well as the first round of exciting new mini plan packages are now officially on sale, giving fans everywhere the opportunity to join the team's season ticket member family for the upcoming 30th anniversary season at historic Five County Stadium in Zebulon.
Fans looking to secure their seats for the 2020 season beginning on April 9 versus the Winston-Salem Dash at Five County Stadium should call the Mudcats today at (919) 269-CATS (2287) or visit the team front office at Five County Stadium.

LOUISBURG -- The new Louisburg Grappling Club continues to experience success in area events.
Back in October, Malikai Briggs, who is a senior wrestler at Louisburg High School, competed in the U.S. Grappling Tournament in Greensboro.
Taking part in the Men's Intermediate NOGI Division, Briggs put together a strong finish of third place overall at the prestigious tourney.

Franklinton High School first-year head coach Tom Harris has been saluted as the Big East Conference Champion Volleyball Co-Coach of the Year for the 2019 campaign.

BUNN -- The Bunn Garden Club looked back at its past and gazed into the future as it celebrated its 70th anniversary this month.
The group's Nov. 6 monthly included members and special guests, such as past presidents and friends.
Vice President Barbara Tetterton (who is also a past president) provided the group with a special presentation on the history of Bunn, which included the 70-year history of the Bunn Garden Club.

Organist/pianist Dr. Daniel Steinert will present three sopranos and a flutist in "A Season of Gratitude" at Cherry Hill at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.
The performance will feature 11-year-old boy soprano Ryan Best, who works with Dr. Steinert as part of the music ministry at Christ United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. Ryan, a middle schooler from Durham, was selected to perform the National Anthem at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park last summer.
Among Ryan's numbers at Cherry Hill will be a duet with his mother, flutist Debi Best.

FRANKLINTON -- Military folks know a bit about mobilization.
So to, do teachers and students.
At the beginning of the school year, Franklinton High teacher Sandra Wiggins wanted to do something to recognize and honor area veterans.

LOUISBURG -- In a meeting that tied the recent record for shortest session by the Louisburg Town Council -- about 12 minutes -- town leaders on Monday night got an update on its ABC store, accepted the donation of two small pieces of property and added two members to the town's planning board.
Unmentioned was the three-option plan for massive changes to Bickett Boulevard, the town's bypass, where a number of businesses will be affected by the latest North Carolina Department of Transportation plan to try to improve traffic flow and safety.

LOUISBURG -- Following a closed session, Franklin County commissioners approved measures that would let a consultant conduct a water supply study in hopes of identifying and securing more of the resource.
In the summer of 2017, Franklin County Commissioners adopted an ordinance that determined how it would allocate water and sewer capacity each year.

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested a Louisburg man they allege tried to end an altercation outside a sweepstakes cafe by running over two people.
Authorities allege Raesha'd Wright's efforts failed when they arrested him during the early morning hours of Nov. 12.
According to Police Chief Jason Abbott, officers responded to 135 S. Bickett Boulevard -- the parking lot of the I-One Business Center sweepstakes -- and spotted a vehicle they believed to have been involved in a collision.

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested two Louisburg teenagers they suspect are responsible for a handful of vehicle break-ins.
Authorities are seeking juvenile petitions against some other underage suspects they believe were also involved.
Between Nov. 13 and Nov. 17, residents on Court Street, South Main Street, John Street, Williamson Street and Spring Street reported that someone had taken items from their vehicles.

LOUISBURG -- Police arrested one suspect and are looking for another in one sweepstakes case, and are looking for suspects in another, unrelated sweepstakes swindling.
On Nov. 13, officers responded to an alarm at the Happy Sweepstakes at 285 S. Bickett Boulevard when the proprietor suspected two people of passing counterfeit money.

The Health Department is encouraging Franklin County residents to commit or recommit to healthy, tobacco-free lives by participating in the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21.
"The most important thing smokers can do to improve their health is to quit cigarettes and other forms of tobacco," said Scott LaVigne, Franklin County Health director.