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FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners agreed to hand off their budget to the incoming manager, Zachary Steffey, who told the board he could balance the town's budget -- which currently has as much as a $1 million gap between revenues and expenses.
It'll be bloody, though, he warned.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners have suggested a two or three cent reduction in the proposed tax rate -- but no final decision has been reached.
Beyond that, officials are waiting for residents' feedback before putting the finishing touches on their 2022-23 spending plan.
The board took part in a budget work session on May 19, as Finance Director Jamie Holtzman went over fiscal highlights.

FRANKLINTON -- A state audit investigation revealed Franklinton's manager spent nearly $40,000 without following town policies.
The error was one of procedure, not malice or ill intent, said Town Manager Gregory Bethea.
Bethea said it should not erode the public's trust in the town or management.

LOUISBURG -- The town council got a detailed look at a proposed 2022-23 budget that included no tax increase and a 5 percent rise in electricity rates during a special meeting last week.
But there were hints that some council members may decide changes are in order in the document which proposed a balanced, overall budget of $15,803,010.

BUNN -- The Bunn community celebrated the life and laid to rest twin brothers who were killed in a single vehicle wreck.
A memorial service was held Wednesday at Bunn High School for Gabriel and Garrett Cribb, 16-year-old sophomores and active members of the sporting community there.

BUNN -- Town officials held their first budget session Tuesday morning, bracing themselves for utility rate increases they expect to have to pass on to customers.
Town certified public accountant Andrew Harris presented the board with a 2022-23 budget that proposes to spend $458,180 in taxpayer money to operate the town.

Lorenzo Stancil to sing anthem at upcoming state Special Olympics games

First, a confession. I really did comb through the county's proposed 2022-23 fiscal year budget looking for something positive.
And I failed.
Miserably. The budget was downright depressing, partly for what it proposes to do but also for what it totally ignores, like a future source of adequate water.
The most shocking line item in the budget -- well, actually there were two -- but let's first focus on a $2 million give-away of your tax dollars.

Back in October, I wrote a column about who you had to know or where you had to go to get some alcohol, particularly, liquor.
It was a month after my boss wrote a cool feature story about retired ATF agent Johnny Binkley, whose book, Moonshiners & Revenuers, paints a pretty vivid picture of the colorful 1960s through early 1990s of Franklin County's illegal whiskey-soaked past.

CASTALIA, NC--Louis Walton Bobbitt Jr. died May 16, 2022 at his home. Louis was born on August 15, 1930 in Castalia, NC. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Ella Yvonne Bobbitt Cornwell, his father, LW Bobbitt, Sr. and mother, Ella Johnson Bobbitt, his sisters, infant Dorothy Bobbitt, Lurlene Bobbitt and Jaunita Bobbitt Smith, and a nephew.

Shirley Cobb Davis has been chosen as the June Artist of the Month by the Franklin County Arts Council.
An open house and reception in her honor is slated for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Gallery on the Hill in Louisburg. Her art will be on display and for sale at the gallery which is located at 99 S. Bickett Blvd., in Louisburg.

If you're an avid vegetable gardener then you know that a garden isn't complete without tomatoes. According to garden.org, tomatoes are the number one vegetable grown in home gardens.
For many gardeners the conventional row crop production of vegetables such as tomatoes can be inconvenient or take up too much space.

PIANO PERFORMANCE. Pianist Solomon Eichner will appear in concert at Cherry Hill beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 29. The performance will be followed by a reception in the 1858 plantation house in Inez. Admission will be taken at the door, with adults at $10, students at $5, and children 12 and under admitted at no charge. Eichner, a native of Baltimore, graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and the University of South Carolina. He debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2016 and has performed across the United States and Europe.

Members of the Louisburg Senior Center learned about strawberry farming from Sue Leggett at Strawberry City in Nashville. They had fresh strawberry ice cream that is made daily, and picked their own strawberries to take home. Pictured above, Jean Lloyd (left) and Martha Stallings enjoy fresh homemade ice cream.

WELCOME. Franklin County Department of Aging held its Senior Spring Day, May 10 at Riverbend Park, Louisburg. Above, attendees receive a welcome and review of the Older Americans Month Proclamation from Franklin County Assistant Manager Will Doerfer.

Carolyn Peters, Senior Center Staff and Michael Patterson from the Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging

Seniors may have more time for leisure and recreation than working adults, and the summer months provide ample opportunities to get active.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults age 65 and older get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. There are plenty of ways for active seniors to meet this exercise goal and have some fun along the way. The following are good starting points:

LOUISBURG -- Some Franklin County Board of Education candidates will have decisions to make after election results become official.
While the May 17 primary election revealed the highest vote getters, the race for the school board -- which is a non-partisan race -- follows General Statute rules for municipal races and requires a majority, meaning that a declared winner has to receive at least 50 percent of the vote, said Board of Elections Director Michelle Chavis.

LOUISBURG -- A Louisburg man was killed last week when authorities allege he ran into oncoming traffic.
According to authorities, Christopher L. Johnston, of 106 Tanglewood Drive, was walking east, along the shoulder of N.C. 56 past Leonard Farm Road when he "ran" out into the roadway just before 9 p.m. on May 20.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town commissioners approved a $4.7 million spending plan that raises employee pay, sets aside $1 million for road improvements and is balanced with the aid of $1 million in state infrastructure grants.
The budget keeps the town's tax rate at 65.5 cents per $100 of valuation -- a rate that would have cost the town $1 million if lowered.