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LOUISBURG -- Franklin County put a price tag on delays to its plans for a new Bunn emergency communications tower when they approved $1 million in change orders.
In the fall of 2023, Bunn commissioners nixed the county's plans to erect a tower behind the Bunn Fire Department on Main Street.
The argued it was too close to an existing tower and didn't match development plans for downtown Bunn.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's animal services unit saw one more change at the top this week after its advisory board chair resigned.
Russell Bottom's letter of resignation from his post as chair of the County Animal Services Advisory Board was submitted on Monday -- two weeks after the state revealed that Franklin County improperly euthanized a dog and less than two weeks after Franklin County fired Lynn Bowling as its animal services director and two other employees.

Youngsville's Adam Depaolo tries to navigate an obstacle course wearing goggles that approximate the vision impairment of driving drunk. Rolesville Police Officer B. Strickland helps keep an eye on him. It was Youngsville's first time hosting a National Night Out event, partnering with Faith Baptist Church, which served as the site.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Traffic was the topic of at least four discussions during the most recent board of commissioners meeting.
First, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization representatives presented the Blueprint for Safety Plan -- a regional plan designed to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on roadways within the region.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Town officials adopted a Parks and Recreation Master Plan that provides a rough outline of how they'd like to see the program grow -- including new facilities and staffing levels.
The plan, itself, would be a tool the town can use to secure the funding necessary to achieve those goals.

John Rogers enjoys BINGO at the Senior Center

Although it's been almost impossible not to enjoy this week's beautiful weather -- lower temperatures with lower humidity -- let's hope its not a warning of an early fall.
It's not that fall is a bad thing, after all it's one of the most enjoyable seasons of the year except when Mother Nature gifts us with a hurricane.
But fall is followed by . . . well, you know, and as a coldphobe, I dread the cold, wet and especially the frozen stuff!

During Monday's Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting, it sounded like the property tax monster is coming to roost.
Going back to last spring, the word out of the county, its tax office and the company performing revaluation was that folks should prepare themselves to see their property values increase after a wild eight years of property purchases.
A year later, when property revaluations started going out in the spring of 2024, one thing you can't accuse the county of doing is lying.

Dear editor: I read with interest your August 8, 2024 edition of The Franklin Times and want to make a brief statement on several of the issues.
It appears, as I suspected it would, (when the county allowed the formation of the "animal rights" group to review and provide feedback of the animal shelter operations a year or so ago), that the "tail" (animal rights group) would end up wagging the "dog" (county commissioners).

Dear editor: ESSE QUAM VIDERI
Ten years ago seven local contractors came together to create Louisburg's ESSE QUAM VIDERI wall.
It remains the largest depiction of our North Carolina motto which means, "To Be Rather than to Seem."

Hollister, NC--Funeral services for Mattie Ree Copeland-Parker, age 66, who died on Thursday, August 15, 2024, will be held 2 p.m., Saturday, August 24, from the Greater Joy Church in Rocky Mount with Bishop Shelton Daniel officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Robert Eugene Jackson, 57, died August 18, 2024. Robert was born on November 2, 1966 to the late Kenneth and Jacqueline Lumley Jackson. In addition to his parents, Robert was preceded in death by a sister, Cheryl Lynn Jackson; and a nephew.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Veronica Alston, age 43, who died on Friday, August 16, 2024, will be held 2 p.m., Thursday, August 22, from the Old Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Michael Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Alston-Ellis Family Cemetery.

Hollister, NC--Funeral services for Yvonne Marie Richardson, age 79, who died on Monday, August 19, 2024, will be held on 1 p.m., Friday, August 23, from the Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Warrenton with Rev. Al Louis Cooper, Jr. officiating. Burial will follow in the Walnut Grove Church Cemetery.

BUNN -- Bunn High School couldn't have asked for a better scenario to begin the Morgan LaRoque Era.
Taking on rival Louisburg, the Ladycats opened their regular season volleyball action in style with a three-set victory over the Lady Warriors last Thursday at the Bunn Dome on the BHS campus.
Scores were 25-15, 25-14 and 25-19 in favor of the Ladycats to give LaRoque a victory in her first game as BHS' head volleyball coach.

FRANKLINTON -- The next generation of Franklinton High School volleyball has arrived -- but not quite in the way veteran coach Tom Harris envisioned it.
Certainly, Harris knew some reloading was in order after last year's star-studded graduation class exited the program after leading FHS to a sweep of the Big East Conference regular season and tournament championships.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The Big East Conference cross country season is set to begin, and plenty of talent returns from last year's exceptional campaign.
Defending champions Northern Nash (boys) and Rocky Mount (girls) should both be strong again, while girls individual title winner Brinkley Robinson from Franklinton will return after dominating league competition in 2023 as a freshman.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Challenging tests await each of Franklin County's three high school football teams as the 2024 campaign is set to begin this Friday night.
At Franklinton, the Red Rams will kick off the Michael Justice Era as head coach with a home game against the Apex Cougars out of Wake County.
This is the second game of a two-year contract between the schools, and last season's event saw the homestanding Cougars post a 48-0 conquest over the Red Rams en route to posting a 7-4 overall record.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The Big East Conference girls golf season will kick off September 4 with a nine-hold match at Brevofield Golf Links, which is located near Wake Forest.
Southern Nash is the defending league champion, with runner-up Nash Central positioned to make a strong run this fall to test the Ladybirds.

LOUISBURG -- Even after an uncharacteristic rough start to the season, don't give up on the Louisburg High School volleyball squad just yet.
Veteran LHS head coach Erica Wammock isn't about to, and for good reason.
That's because this version of the Lady Warriors is young and inexperienced, and Wammock expects her group to continue to improve as the season progresses -- and hopefully make a surge toward one of the top spots in the competitive Northern Lakes Athletic Conference.

ZEBULON -- The Carolina Mudcats, in conjunction with Major League Baseball, have announced their 2025 regular-season schedule beginning on April 4 with the season opener at Five County Stadium against the Fredericksburg Nationals.
Key home dates include Independence Day Week (July 1 - July 3 vs. Fayetteville) and Labor Day Weekend (August 29 - August 31 vs. Delmarva).

LOUISBURG, NC - Tickets are now on sale now for Louisburg College's 67th Allen de Hart Concert Series. This year's series includes eight exciting performances from a wide variety of entertainers.
•The season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 27 with Extreme Escapes and Illusions, a show which mixes death-defying magic and thrills that leaves audiences not believing their own eyes. This show travels across the county performing over 300 dates a year.

Though commonly thought to be a vegetable, cucumber is a fruit. It's high in beneficial nutrients, as well as certain plant compounds and antioxidants that may help treat and even prevent some conditions.
Cucumbers are also low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them ideal for promoting hydration and aiding in weight loss.
The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in cucumber provide significant health benefits.

TRAFFIC INTERESTS. Brenda Landes with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization solicits public input on proposals to improve traffic in and around Youngsville.

Maria Parham Franklin Specialty Care has announced that Mark Messmer, DO, will be expanding orthopedic services in Louisburg, alongside Darius A. Divina, DO, FAOAO.
Dr. Messmer comes from a military background and joined Maria Parham Health in Henderson in August, 2022, following a position as staff orthopedic surgeon at Camp Lejeune. His patient population there was primarily active-duty Marines and Sailors with a variety of sports-related injuries and trauma.

LOUISBURG -- A wreck on Bickett Boulevard last week sent eight people to the hospital with minor injuries.
According to authorities, Christopher Fogg, 60, of Louisburg, was traveling north on Bickett Boulevard just before 1 p.m. on Aug. 14 when he attempted to make a left turn onto Wade Avenue.

LOUISBURG -- A Lake Royale man was killed last week in a head-on collision.
Matthew Keenan, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 8:30 a.m. crash on N.C. 39 between Bennett Perry and Dick Baker Road.
According to Trooper C.R. Lanham, John Truelove of Louisburg was traveling south on the two-lane roadway when he crossed the center line on Aug. 14.