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LOUISBURG -- North Carolina voters got off to the races, setting a first-day record for voting.
And, while it wasn't clear whether Franklin County set a record, more than 4,000 ballots were cast in Franklin County on the first day of early voting.
In 2020, 3,114 ballots were cast on the first day of early voting in Franklin County.
Overall, during the presidential election in 2020, more than 25,680 Franklin County voters cast a ballot during early voting.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners are considering providing employees with another pay increase.
They tasked management with looking at current pay levels and fiscal impacts before moving forward with any adjustment.
"... This county is bleeding employees, losing them left and right to other counties," said Commissioner Mark Speed, who, during the "other business" portion of Monday's meeting, proposed the increase, suggesting that the county's performance pay policy that governs employee salary increases isn't sufficient.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton used a recent gathering of interested parties along a developing rail corridor to advocate for a stop in town.
This summer, state officials and federal transportation staff broke ground on a rail line, connecting Richmond Va., to Raleigh -- and further south into Florida.
The 162-mile passenger route has been in development for about 20 years and, as it stands, stops are planned for Norlina, Henderson and Wake Forest before getting to Raleigh.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County staff, emergency radio system engineers and consultants said they're still working through plans to address an anticipated coverage shortcoming.
On Monday night, Emergency Communications Director Christy Shearin, Ken Steere, director of programs for Williams Communications, the company hired to upgrade the system, and Norm Folger, with TUSA Consulting, the engineering firm hired to oversee Williams' work, all updated commissioners on the project.

Proud Franklin County resident Wanda Tevepaugh

Just as fall truly fell here in Franklin County, you might have noticed that ghosts, goblins, witches and all manner of strange creatures are beginning to make their appearances.
Recently I saw what appeared to be a witch flying above a local yard although she may have been just a craftily created witch-like creature made of light flowing fabric that looked almost lifelike if you happen to believe in witches.

In a column earlier this month, I took a moment to recount Franklin County's history of party registration ... well, at least the last 20 years.
Going back to January 2004, Democrats doubled the number of registered Republicans.
And, even if every unaffiliated voter went Republican, they wouldn't be able to overcome the Democratic party's stranglehold on politics in Franklin County.
In 12 years time, though, the ranks of the unaffiliated voters rose to 11,627, just 1,600 less than Republicans.

Dear editor: I will be backing conservative Liz Chaney's pro-America initiative rather than Donald Trump's pro-Russia stance.
Liz is fully aware that the traditional Republican Party is no more.
The GOP (Grand Old Party) was hijacked by Trump's cult of personality in 2015.

Dear editor: I am writing to voice my displeasure of the cartoon shown on Page 6 of the Oct. 3, 2024 edition of The Franklin Times. It is too soon after a disaster to publish a cartoon that depicts mountain folks getting washed away by a flood! For God's sake, the rescuers are still collecting bodies! Bodies of fellow North Carolinians that were washed great distances from their homes, just like the cartoon suggests. Also, the cartoon has a political bend as one of the soon to be dead mountain folks says, "Now I am beginning to believe in climate change!" This publication is morally wrong on many levels.

LOUISBURG, NC--Alex Randall "Randy" Wood, 64, of Louisburg, died Saturday evening, October 19, 2024 at his home.

LOUISBURG, NC--Carol Wedow Hinshaw, 88, died October 20, 2024 at her home. Carol was born in Denver Colorado on August 16, 1936 to the late Charles and Caroline Kaiser Wedow. Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Ervin Max Hinshaw; and her brother, Chuck Wedow.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Larry Williams age 72, who died on Saturday, October 19, 2024, will be held 2 p.m., Saturday, October 26, from the Jones Chapel Baptist Church, Louisburg, NC. Burial will follow in the Jones Chapel Church cemetery. Rev. Timothy Johnson, officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Madie White Goodman-Smith, age 82, who died on Saturday, October 19, 2024, will be held at 12 p.m., Sunday, October 27, from the St. Paul Presbyterian Church, Louisburg, NC. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill cemetery. Dr. Hardy, officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for Mary Battle age 78, who died on Saturday, October 19, 2024, will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 26, from the Allen Chapel Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the Allen Chapel Church cemetery. Rev. Stanley Dunston, officiating.

LOUISBURG, NC--Memorial services for Roy Lee Dickerson, age 58, who died on Thursday, October 17, 2024, will be held 1 p.m., Saturday, October 26, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg College is ranked second in the nation in NJCAA DIII football -- and Coach Quinderra Spellman has his sights set on a national championship game -- but is stressing to his players that it's one game at a time through the end of this season in two weeks.
This is the first time in the school's long history that its football squad has been so highly ranked.
The ranking comes just two weeks after the team broke into the top five at number four -- and it has managed to hold down the number two ranking for two weeks in a row.

Linebackers Letraskey Pressley, left, and Jah'Keevi Garnett await the snap during the Louisburg College Homecoming game on Saturday, October 19. Pressley, with 10.5 sacks for his career, broke the college's all-time sack record during the fourth quarter.

Louisburg College players huddle together to communicate a play during Louisburg's Homecoming game on Saturday. The team donned red uniforms with pink accessories to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Many fruit-growing hobbyists neglect the annual maintenance of their fruit trees due to lack of time or they are not exactly sure how to take care of them. Without training or pruning, fruit trees will not develop proper shape and form. Properly trained and pruned trees will yield high-quality fruit much earlier in their lives and live significantly longer.
There are many factors to consider if you want to be successful when planting fruit trees.

Simply saying a plant will grow in the shade is too simplistic a statement because not all shade is the same.
There is filtered shade, partial shade, open shade, and dense shade. Shade changes with the time of day and from year to year as trees grow.
Sites that might be in full sun part of the year may become heavily shaded as the season changes or as trees leaf out. Light is also influenced by topography. For example, a south-facing slope receives more light than a north-facing slope.

The following are questions that are often asked during the year.
1. When can I prune my azaleas?
If the right azalea variety is planted in the right location, then pruning would rarely need to be done. Formosa azaleas can easily get 10-15 feet tall in time. Satsuki hybrids (gumpo varieties) generally get 3-feet tall and 3-feet wide. Picking the best plant for the location should be at the top of the list.

The meaning of the term "cozy" varies as it pertains to home decor. For some, cozy may mean intimate spaces with lots of quilts and throws. For others, cozy could indicate bright and airy spaces enhanced by plenty of fresh foliage.
Regardless of how they define cozy, homeowners typically want their homes to be inviting and comfortable. With that in mind, the following are some ways to impart a cozy vibe to any living space.

As winter approaches, homeowners know they must do certain things to ready their homes for the coming months. Wrapping up the grill and closing the pool are no-brainers, but homeowners also must prioritize winterizing their homes to ensure homes withstand the winter.
Winterizing tasks range from small to big, but each can protect a home and its inhabitants and some can even save homeowners a substantial amount of money. The following are four simple ways to winterize your home.

The holiday season comes at a time when the weather can be anywhere from cool to frigid. But even if the weather outside is somewhat frightful, holiday entertaining in outdoor spaces can still be delightful. Making the most of outdoor spaces during the holidays and the rest of the winter can enable guests to spread out, which should make things more comfortable for them. With that goal in mind, the following are some tips for putting outdoor areas to good use when hosting loved ones this holiday season.

Renovations help homeowners customize their homes to align with their needs and wants. Remodeling may be necessary to replace outdated fixtures and features, address mistakes previous homeowners may have made, or to make a home more functional.
Homeowners often find it beneficial to hire professional contractors when they have work to be done around the house to ensure the job gets done to code and to their satisfaction. Timelines for home remodeling projects vary depending on a number of variables, including the size of a crew as well as the scope of the project.

The Gamma Kappa Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., has planned a Fall intake session to induct new members into the fraternity. They are hosting an information session 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2. The session will be held at Tiffanys 110 S. Garnett Street, Henderson.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc was founded on January 8, 1914 on the campus of Howard University. The organization is committed to brotherhood, scholarship, and service. The Gamma Kappa Sigma Alumni chapter was founded in 1954 including Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties.

LOUISBURG -- A Youngsville businessman's property rights fight with Franklin County continues.
The saga goes back to October 2021, Craig Rooth said, when he contacted Franklin County planning staff about wanting to open up the back 10 acres of his N.C. 96 trucking business property for expansion.
Rooth said staff told him the property was "grandfathered" and figured he was okay to proceed with plans.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Police are seeking the public's help to apprehend a shoplifter who stole items from a local convenience store.
According to a press release, a black man wearing a blue hat, black t-shirt and blue shorts entered the Sheetz on U.S. 1 at about 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 18.
The man is alleged to have taken about $50 in drinks and other merchandise, bypassing the register and self checkout.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Personal and logistical issues forced town leaders to alter their meeting plans, hosting a special called meeting on Monday.
The board was set to meet on Oct. 10 for its regularly scheduled meeting, however, logistics threw a wrench into plans.
A number of board members were providing hurricane relief assistance to folks in western North Carolina.
And, Spectrum equipment failed about a block away from town hall, preventing anyone from participating remotely.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners were slated to go into closed session on Monday, suspectedly, to talk about the county manager's employment status.
However, with the absence of Commissioner Michael Schriver, the board didn't have the majority votes needed to go behind closed doors.
No action was taken.

Last Saturday the Centerville and Gold Sand Fire departments -- and their friends -- held a special barbecue pork and chicken plate dinner to help raise money to aid storm victims in the western part of the state. Since so many homes were destroyed by rushing water, many folks are forced to life temporarily in tents -- and it's getting chilly in the mountains this time of the year.

Walter Lynn Lewis was recently presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of State Fire Marshal and was also recognized for his 50 years of community service through the Pilot Fire Department at their 50-year cerebration.
This prestigious Lifetime Achievement was presented by Tony Bailey, an officer of the State Fire Marshal Department.