Recent Articles

LOUISBURG, NC--Funeral services for James Edward Massenburg, age 90, who died on Saturday, November 12, 2022 will be held 1 p.m., Friday, November 18, 2022 from the Mitchell Baptist Church in Louisburg with Rev. William Cozart officiating. Burial will follow in the Jones Chapel Church Cemetery.

LOUISBURG, NC--Eva Kaye Gupton Ellington, 75, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, November 8, 2022. She was born on May 30, 1947 to the late Willie and Elizabeth Gupton.

LOUISBURG, NC--Hilda Gray Ayscue Cottrell, 88, of Louisburg, died Saturday, November 12, 2022. She was born on October 1, 1934 to the late Hurley J and Zona Tutor Ayscue. In addition to her parents, Hilda was predeceased by her husband, Louis Donald Cottrell; and sisters, Shelvie Burnette and Doris Smith.

LOUISBURG, NC--Janet Whitley Phelan, 63, of Louisburg, died Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at her home.

Louisburg, NC--Barbara Smith Eury, 86, of Louisburg, passed away on Wednesday, November 9, 2022. She was born on August 10, 1936 to the late Melville Smith and Laura Mae Ayscue Smith O'Neal.

LOUISBURG, NC-- Gladys Smith Aycock, 78, of Louisburg, died Tuesday morning, November 15, 2022. Gladys was the daughter of the late James H. Smith and Onnie Smith Pruitt. She was preceded in death by her son, Travis Gupton; daughter, Danelle D. Hicks; brother, James Thomas Smith and her sister, Gray S. Haithcock.

Greensboro, NC--James Macon Coghill Jr., 89, of Greensboro passed away on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. He was the oldest child of James Macon Coghill, Sr., and Wilma Smith Coghill.

Zebulon, NC--Jerry Dean Temple, 76, passed away Saturday, November 12, 2022. He was born January 11, 1946, in Harnett County to the late Fred Albert Temple and Margaret Hamilton Temple. Jerry graduated from Four Oaks High School and received his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from Nash Technical Community College. Jerry retired from the NC State Highway Patrol with 19 ½ years of service. Following his law enforcement career, he owned and operated his own business, Jerry Temple Tax & Accounting.

Kittrell, NC--Funeral services for Leroy Kearney, age 86, who died on Thursday, November 10, 2022, will be held 2 p.m., Saturday, November 19, from the Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Kittrell with Pastor Brian Floyd officiating. Burial will follow in the Concord Church Cemetery.

Louisburg, NC--Funeral services for Sterling Junior Edgerton, age 92, who died on Thursday, November 10, 2022, will be held 2 p.m., Monday, November 21, from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg.

BUNN, NC -- Margie Morris Winstead, 86, of Bunn, passed away Friday evening, November 11, 2022.

LOUISBURG -- The Louisburg Town Council and its mayor got their first peek at a 28-page report on the controversial Depot Hill project last Friday evening -- and promised to hold at least one public informational meeting before a decision is made on how the project should proceed.
The report was done by GWP Developers, LLC, at a cost of about $45,000, after some members of the council began to question the long-standing plans for the former railroad depot and property along South Main Street, just south of the Tar River Bridge.

LOUISBURG -- Sean Medlin, Louisburg's veteran finance director, was beginning to unwind at home last Friday evening after a long week when a surprise telephone call changed his life.
On the other end of the call was Louisburg Mayor Christopher Neal and he had an important message for Medlin: the town administrator's job was his if he chose to accept the offer.

LOUISBURG -- An activist group from Franklinton High School asked county commissioners to take the first step toward mitigating destructive acts to the environment.
About a year ago, FHS students became part of the national Action for the Climate Emergency [ACE] network, which encourages young people to advocate for solutions to the climate emergency, which is most often reflected through climate change

BUNN -- Town commissioners hope to shut down a "drag strip" by installing new stop signs.
On Monday night, Commissioner Nicole Brantley encouraged the board to install some speed controlling measures to slow traffic along N. Franklin Street near W. Carolina Avenue.

Bunn HS football legend Tevin Perry

FRANKLINTON -- Deputies arrested a Franklinton-area man they allege perpetrated a knife attack.
Deputies responded to a home in the 100 block of Timberline Drive at about 10 a.m. on Nov. 5 -- meeting a man on the front porch who alleged Gregory Williams was inside attacking a woman at knifepoint.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Raleigh man they allege held a woman at knifepoint.
Christopher McCullogh, 28, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a female following the Nov. 4 incident.
Deputies responded to a domestic disturbance on Holden Court, meeting a woman outside claiming that her boyfriend, McCullogh, was inside the home choking her aunt.

YOUNGSVILLE ­-- Deputies and prosecutors are trying to determine if charges will be filed in a shooting incident.
Deputies responded to the 100 block of Ridgewood Drive to find a 32-year-old woman suffering from a minor gunshot wound.
Apparently, authorities said, neighbors were target shooting in the backyard when a round from a 9-mm rifle traveled into the house and hit the woman in the thigh.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Sheriff's deputies are investigating an apparent kidnapping attempt.
A child less than 15 reported to their mom on Nov. 6 that someone tried to lure him into their vehicle.
The attempt was not successful and the matter was reported to authorities.

Perhaps we need to rein in this Depot Hill "horse" before we lose another iconic part of our historical heritage in Louisburg.
Frankly, I couldn't find much to celebrate in the recent report outlined for the Louisburg Town Council regarding the future of Depot Hill and the vintage train station/depot on the hill along South Main Street just south of the Tar River bridge. (See story beginning on Page 1.)

What I'm about to say is not sacrilege, I promise.
But, even as someone who makes their very living based on businesses and other entities' willingness to advertise, one of the best days in recorded history is the day after an election.
No longer are my favorite television shows interrupted with political ads that, let's be honest, sound more ominous than the latest horror feature.

BUNN -- Authorities allege a Bunn Middle School student made a threat of mass violence.
According to authorities, a student threatened to "shoot up" the school the afternoon of Oct. 26.
No injuries were reported and at no time were students or staff in danger, School Principal Eric Lockard said in a letter sent to parents and guardians.