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RALEIGH -- A stalwart supporter of Franklin County's Special Olympians was honored for her dedication -- earning Special Olympics North Carolina's Volunteer of the Year award.
Danielle Dietz has been a coach with Franklin County Special Olympics for more than a decade -- coaching scores of athletes to achievement on and off the field.
"We are beyond proud of one of our own ...," said Franklin County Special Olympics Coach Mary Mendoza.

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners agreed to a rezoning that would make Novonesis expansion possible.
Company officials, though, told commissioners and residents they don't yet know what that development will be.
"We don't have any plans," said Mike Hess, senior manager of Regional Technical Strategy for the company formerly known as Novozymes.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Communities in Franklinton and Louisburg celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. -- being urged to be selfless, not selfish, and use God's gifts to move King's message of equality forward.
On Saturday, the Franklinton MLK Jr. Committee hosted its 19th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at First Baptist Church.

LOUISBURG -- A Charlottesville, Va.-based energy development firm is months away from presenting a nearly 1,000-acre solar farm proposal to county commissioners.
But, Hexagon Energy Project Manager Ross Svetz said the Jan. 14 community meeting with neighbors appears to have been successful.

Will Doerfer takes the oath as Youngsville's assistant town manager

Br-r-r-r, it's c-c-c-old outside.
Of course, it's also mid-January and, lest we forget, it's supposed to be cold out there.
That doesn't mean we all have to like it -- it just means that it's cold and we have to endure until spring makes its much anticipated arrival in several weeks.
In the meantime, just bundle up, stay warm and try to stay healthy because, here lately, the biggest threat from winter is the epidemic of viral diseases that seem to be everywhere and affecting almost everyone.

So, before I offer a well-intentioned critique, let me first give some flowers.
For nearly 20 years, members of the Franklinton MLK Jr. Committee, along with members of First Baptist Church, have hosted a service to honor the life and legacy of slain civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
And, for longer than that, REEP, the acronym for a grassroots organization that stands for Recreation Education Economics and Politics and/or the Franklin County NAACP, along with St. Paul Presbyterian Church have hosted an MLK service in Louisburg.

Dear editor: I have lived in this county many years and served seven years as the county's Chief Public Health Officer.
Over the years, I have seen a marked decline in health services in the county, either by bad happenstance, or design.
We have lost Mental Health Services, a hospital, the opportunity to have ECU partner w/Vance Granville Community College to place a dental training program/clinic, and, Wake Med to place a satellite in Franklin County.

Dear editor: Six Flags over Georgia and Underground Atlanta were primary destinations for our vacation in August of 1973.
After thoroughly enjoying Six Flags, we went to Atlanta but discovered Underground Atlanta was closed for renovations.
The Georgia State Capitol building was nearby and we entered the building around 5 p.m. on Friday.

Whitakers, NC -- Funeral services for Charlie Lewis Mills, Sr., age 81, who died on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, will be held 2 p.m., Friday, January 24, 2025 from the Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Hollister with Pastor Al Cooper officiating. Burial will follow in the Trinity Church Cemetery.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Funeral services for Decarrus "Dee Dee" Jones, age 44, who died on Thursday, January 16, 2025, will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, January 25, from the Old Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Louisburg with Pastor Michael Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery in Franklinton.

FRANKLINTON, NC -- Jimmy Lloyd Bowers, 73, of Franklinton, died at home on Friday afternoon, January 17, 2025, surrounded by his family.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Johnny Albert McGhee, 86, of Louisburg, passed away on Friday morning, January 17, 2025, at Duke Hospital. He is preceded in death by his mother, Faustina McGhee Lester.

DURHAM, NC -- Larry D. Perry, age 66, the son of the late Clem and Elsie Green Perry of Franklin County, was born on June 24, 1958. He died January 10, 2025.

Louisburg, NC -- Funeral services for Lucy Anderson, age 66, who died on Friday, January 17, 2025, will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, January 27, 2025 from the Jones Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. Gwen Starr officiating. Burial will follow in the Jones Chapel Church Cemetery.

Pruning is the removal of plant parts to improve form and growth of plants. The reasons for pruning include: training, maintaining health, improving quality and controlling growth.
The first pruning of young trees and shrubs always consists of removing broken, crossing, and weak-structured branches.
Trees with a central leader (excurrent form), such as cedar, sweet gum, or pin oak, may need little or no pruning except to eliminate branches competing with the central leader.

These Franklin County students were named to the Dean's List at North Carolina State University for the fall semester:
David Richard Oros, Alana Sofia Bengoa, Christian Joseph DiLorenzo, Zachary Thomas Lawson, Galen Day (Perfect 4.0 average), Caitlyn Ann Williams, (Perfect 4.0), Bethany Renee Lee (Perfect 4.0), Jarrett Parker Southall, Joshua Hering Glasheen, Isaac Elias Watkins, (Perfect 4.0), Victoria Gray Phillips, (Perfect 4.0), Hope Olivia Latta, Enya Leigh Jones (Perfect 4.0), Cameron James Middleton, (Perfect 4.0), Alexander Charles Kowalewski, Jacob Tyler Jones.

Newly hired Louisburg police officer Robert Maxbauer III, third from the left, was sworn in by Mayor Christopher Neal during the most recent town council meeting. Witnessing the ceremony were the officer's son, Carson, and his wife, Stephany.

BUNN -- In an effort to smooth out their plans for a basketball court and a combination tennis/pickleball court, town officials agreed to bring another surfacing contractor.
In the spring of 2024, the United Way of Franklin County pledge to provide leaders in Bunn, Franklinton and Louisburg with $35,000 each to build a basketball court in those communities.

LOUISBURG -- One member of an elderly Alert couple accused of sexually assaulting a minor, and attempting to cover it up, is slated to appear in court next month.
Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested Perry Moseley on Dec. 23, alleging the 80-year-old was responsible for sexually assaulting and taking indecent liberties with a child.

LOUISBURG -- Prosecutors said they want to confer with federal authorities on a parallel-running case before they decide how they'll deal with a co-defendant in a series of armed robberies -- one of which included shooting at officers.
Back in October, authorities arrested Achontay Malik Cotten and three juveniles they allege used guns to rob Dollar General stores around Louisburg in early October.

LOUISBURG -- Two Louisburg women were arrested for stealing from Walmart.
A further investigation revealed evidence that one of the suspects pulled the same theft a day earlier. Summer Masters, 45, and Holly Fryett, 40, were both charged with misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods for an incident reported on Jan. 10.
Fryett was additionally charged with misdemeanor larceny for an incident that happened on Jan. 9. Both incidents took place at Walmart.

LOUISBURG -- When the state dinged the county when the animal shelter illegally euthanized a dog, management fired the director and two other administrators.
They installed former sheriff Jerry Jones in September as the interim director, believing in his leadership and love for animals.
While Jones has done a considerable job to improve the shelter's culture, animal advocate Krista Duncan said he doesn't bring the one thing the shelter needs right now -- experience.