Archives

LOUISBURG -- In an unexpected and abrupt change of direction, the Louisburg Town Council voted to utilize part (perhaps most) of the existing Depot Hill building for a new town hall.
The idea, as it was presented Monday, is to use part of the building for an event hall and most of the rest of the building for town offices, allowing the current town hall on Nash Street downtown to be occupied by the police department.

LOUISBURG -- Last month, mechanic Wayne Williams got to live out a dream -- re-building a car from bare bones, having it scrutinized by some of the best wrench turners ever, and seeing if the blood and sweat he put into building a 1971 Chevelle would be up to the snuff of one of the best car auctions in the world.
He didn't get much sleep the night before, though.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County educators have to put on their thinking caps to provide student athletes with the highest level of health and safety.
That was the conclusion Franklin County School Board members reached at their Feb. 13 meeting after School System Chief of Auxiliary Services Larry Webb updated them on efforts to secure more athletic trainers for football and wrestling practices and games.

Ed Wilson takes his turn singing karaoke at the Franklinton Senior Center

Recent experience is proving the old saying correct!
If you don't like North Carolina's weather, just wait a few minutes.
We've been on that typical February roller coaster in recent days but who is complaining since, underlying it all, is a hint of springtime?

There are milestone moments or ages in life.
For most folks, the first and most important is their birth -- so much so that they celebrate its anniversary each and every subsequent year.
The next moments, in order, usually include the first day of school and graduating high school.

Dear editor: In "Balloon incidents concerning" (2/16/23), the writer references international news (Chinese spy balloons), NORAD, Santa Claus, and several national figures and debate points about climate change.

When considering worthy examples of lives lived doing what one oughta, don't overlook Georgia peanut farmers Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter.
Moral exemplars indeed.
Enough said.

Franklinton, NC--Funeral services for Buddy "Cat Baby" Braswell Jr., age 73, who died Tuesday, February 21, 2023, will be held 1 p.m., Sunday, March 5, 2023 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Rev. Teressa Kearney officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC - Carolyn Griffin Gardner, 83, of Louisburg, died Tuesday morning, February 21, 2023.

FRANKLINTON, NC--Crystal Lynn Morin, 38, of Franklinton died Monday, February 20, 2023.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Ernest Lee "Tom" Duke, 88 , of Louisburg passed away on February 19, 2023. He was born on September 17, 1934 the son of the late Timothy and Priscilla Rowe Duke. In addition to his parents, Tom was predeceased by his wife, Nell Burnette Duke; a sister, Betty Jean Holmes; his brother, Coy Duke; and a special nephew, Duke Holmes.

ROLESVILLE, NC--Larry Hayes Allen Jr., 50 , of Rolesville died February 15, 2023 . He was born on February 15, 1973 the son of Larry Allen Sr. and the late Jo Ann Gaddy Allen.

Ronald Anthony Gerard, age 89, of Raleigh, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Ron was born in Glen Cove, New York on May 19, 1933, to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Benedict Gerard. In addition to his father, Ron was preceded in death by his brother, David Gerard, his sister, Joan Stockel, his stepdaughter Candy Tew and his stepson Ronny House.

FRANKLINTON -- Coaches love to say that it is difficult to beat a high school basketball team three times in a given season.
Conversely, it's just as difficult to beat a good team just once -- something the Southern Nash Firebirds found out during their campaign-long rivalry this winter with the Franklinton Red Rams in Big East Conference boys hoops action.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The Franklinton Red Rams claimed their first conference championship in boys basketball since moving to a new conference in 2017 last Friday night by knocking off the top-seeded Northern Nash Knights 67-64 in dramatic fashion in the Big East Conference Tournament Finals.
The game was held on the campus of Rocky Mount High School, where the host Gryphons claimed the conference championship on the girls side in the preceding game with a 76-31 victory over Franklinton.

FRANKLINTON -- Will the fourth time be the charm for the Franklinton High School girls basketball team?
Maybe those chances aren't high, but Franklinton will have one more shot at powerhouse Rocky Mount during the 2022-23 season -- this time in the second round of the Class 3-A State Playoffs.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Christian Buffaloe, local Kyokushin Karate fighter, recently won first place in the Men's Lightweight Division of the Japan sponsored "Kyokushin Karate USWC Championships" in Los Angeles (Little Tokyo) on February 5.
In the final match, 23-year-old Buffaloe faced strong Japanese fighter Kohtaroh Zushi in a very tough and technical fight.

Franklinton High School's Meredith Wilkins drives into the paint for the Lady Rams during Tuesday's home victory over Jacksonville in the first round of the Class 3-A Girls Basketball State Playoffs.

Members of the Louisburg Senior Center enjoy a meal and fellowship together. Left side: Senior Services Activities Specialist Shelby Cash, Patsy Douglass, Barbara Oram, Wilbert Wilkins, Ann Washington and Brenda McNeil.

Pete Perry sizes up his shot at the Franklinton Senior Center.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Board of Education approved a school bus drop-off policy intended to bolster safety.
In November, a school bus driver told staff and officials that dropping off young students without a parent or older person to receive them gave drivers anxiety.
That prompted central office staff to examine their policy that allowed students as young as first graders to be let off the bus without an older student, sibling, parent, guardian or designated person to receive them.

FRANKLINTON -- During it's most recent meeting, Franklinton commissioners cleared hurdles for a mental wellness and spiritual guidance operation to do business in town.
And, the board adopted two ordinances that would keep some unwanted activities out of town.
First, as the Board of Commissioners, officials rezoned nearly 15 acres at 200 Korea Street from Residential Single-Family Low [density] to Civic Recreational and Institutional during the Jan. 17 meeting.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council voted 6-to-1 Monday night to "test the market" for downtown real estate by putting the town-owned building at 109 North Church Street up for sale.
The building, which once housed a dentist's office and, later, a medical clinic, was purchased and rehabilitated by the town a few years ago and has been used as a business incubator called "Workspace."

NEW BERN -- A bullet to the head sparked a Franklin County and federal investigation that resulted in a 13-year prison sentence for a Louisburg man considered a career criminal.
Jermaine Carlton Jones, 45, was sentenced Feb. 15 to 160 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Louisburg has a new finance director, Justice native Reuben Carden. He replaces Sean Medlin, the town's long-time finance director who recently was named Louisburg's town administrator. Carden is a Bunn High graduate who received his accounting degree at North Carolina State University in 2011. Carden has experience in town government and finance after stints in various roles at Oxford, Creedmoor and Zebulon.

LOUISBURG -- The Franklin County Sheriff's Office and two state entities continue to investigate an apparent inmate suicide at the Franklin County Detention Center.
According to Sheriff Kevin White, staff found Zachariah Mounce unresponsive in his individual cell at about 7:15 a.m. on Feb. 15.
Detention officers and medical staff worked to resuscitate the 36-year-old until EMS arrived.