Recent Articles

BUNN -- It rained on the parade of a Big East Conference and Franklin County rivalry girls tennis matchup last Thursday between homestanding Bunn and the Franklinton Lady Rams.
Some of the matches got in, but the rain soon came, and the event wasn't finished.

ROCKY MOUNT -- Franklinton High School's goals for the 2022 volleyball season were fairly simplistic -- defend its Big East Conference regular season championship before making a deep run in the Class 3-A State Playoffs.
FHS took a huge step toward completing the first quest with a huge four-set victory Tuesday at rival Nash Central in the most important match of the campaign to date for both clubs.

LOUISBURG -- Louisburg bounced back quickly from a loss four days earlier by securing a convincing 50-0 home victory Monday against KIPP Pride in non-conference football action.
Last Thursday, the Warriors had suffered their initial setback of the 2022 campaign, falling by a 76-28 margin on the road versus a powerhouse club from Princeton High School.

LOUISBURG -- An organization that combats domestic violence and sexual assault is now fighting a loss in funding.
Leaders of Safe Space Inc. are calling upon the community to fill a short- and long-term cash crisis.
Safe Space Executive Director Monica Kearney said the organization has lost a $154,000 federal grant, at least for this year, and is "scrambling" to replace those funds -- which cover a counseling program for children of domestic violence in an effort to break the cycle.

LOUISBURG -- A Nash County woman's court plea concluded a nearly 20-year-old missing person's case that proved to be murder.
Kimberly Hancock's investigation and subsequent jail sentence, though, has not resulted in similar closure in a 2009 Franklin County missing person's case for which Hancock also has a connection.

Crystal and Kayla Ball

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies arrested a Zebulon-area man on charges that he sold killer drugs.
Detectives with Franklin County's Special Operations Group arrested Reginald Bernard Gardner on Sept. 22, charging him with felony death by distribution in the May 21 overdose death of Luis Santiago Franco.

EPSOM -- Authorities arrested a Henderson man suspected in a stabbing.
Michael Leon Bullock, 55, was arrested Sept. 22 and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury.
According to authorities, Bullock is alleged to have met a man in the 900 block of Vaiden Road the afternoon of Sept. 20 regarding some money that was owed.

CASTALIA, NC--Jimmie "Roger" Brooks, 87 of Castalia passed away at his home on September 22, 2022. He was born on April 15, 1935, to the late John Romley Brooks and Maggie Tharrington Brooks. In addition to his parents, Roger was preceded in death by his brothers, Buster Brooks, Joe Brooks, and Donnie Brooks.

NORFOLK, VA--Vincent House Collins, 80, died Thursday, September 22, 2022 at Sentara Leigh Hospital.

HENDERSON, NC--Danny "Woodpecker" Finch, 67 of Henderson, died Friday, September 23, 2022. He was born to Malcolm Bunnie Finch and Adal Evans Finch on September 7, 1955, in Franklin County, NC.

BROOKLYN, NY--Funeral services for Marvisline Gill, age 85, of Brooklyn, NY (formerly of Louisburg, NC) who died on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, will be held 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 28, 2022 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Evangelist Joseph Leonard officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

BROOKLYN, NY--Funeral services for Marvisline Gill, age 85, of Brooklyn, NY (formerly of Louisburg, NC) who died on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, will be held 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 28, 2022 from the Richardson Funeral Home Chapel in Louisburg with Evangelist Joseph Leonard officiating. Burial will follow in the Cemetery on the Hill.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County's legislative representatives showed up to Monday night's county commission meeting with a $17.2 million ceremonial check.
Franklin County and its communities will be able to use that money to address water woes, EMS facilities needs and court backlog, among other things, said State Sen. Lisa Barnes.

LOUISBURG -- The town council cleared the way for a major residential development, accepted the retirement resignation of one of the town's longest-serving officials, purchased land for a pocket park and handled an agenda of relatively routine business items during a lengthy council meeting Monday night.
The personnel action and the park land purchase came at the very end of the meeting after the council held a long, secret session to discuss both items.

FUN FOR ALL. Above, Ange Sisk with American Wildlife Refuge shows off an owl. The Raleigh-based group rehabs animals that have been injured and brought to them for healing. Bunn Fun Day returned to the town after a pandemic-induced hiatus cancelled the event for two years. Visitors were treated to fun, food, games and music during the event held in the heart of downtown Bunn.

LOUISBURG -- County commissioners approved a special use request to put a convenience center site just west of Youngsville.
Franklin County solid waste staff have proposed using the 4.72-acre site at 2275 Long Mill Road as a new place for residents to dump their trash and recycled material.

FRANKLINTON -- Town commissioners agreed to move forward with a management agreement to handle their vehicle fleet and maintenance.
During Tuesday night's meeting, Enterprise Fleet Management Senior Account Executive Nathan Collier presented commissioners with a proposal to better handle the town's fleet of about 20 vehicles.

LOUISBURG -- Franklin County commissioners committed to buying and improving a piece of property that management expects will solve some space and storage issues.
And, the 5-acre property on T. Kemp Road should also have some longer-term value, as well.

A page 1 story in the Sept. 15 edition of The Franklin Times incorrectly reported that six Franklin County Schools were designed as low performing in a recent evaluation by the state.
The correct number is three: Bunn Elementary, Bunn Middle and Franklinton Middle.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Authorities arrested a man they allege led them on high-speed chase with a child inside the vehicle.
Joseph Wayne Griffiths, 56, was charged with fleeing to elude arrest, misdemeanor child abuse, reckless driving to endanger. He was also served with a Durham warrant on a charge of making a false report to a police station.

RALEIGH -- The State Supreme Court refused a temporary stay, meaning a superior court judge's decision barring the former clerk of court from holding the office remains in effect.
In a Sept. 15 ruling, Supreme Court Justice Phil J. Berger Jr. denied motions on behalf of Patricia Chastain to overthrow Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock's April decision to permanently disqualify Chastain from office.

YOUNGSVILLE -- Franklin County sheriff's deputies are looking for suspects in a reported armed robbery.
According to authorities, a woman reported she was returning to her Bounding Lane home just before 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 when she was confronted by three masked man, at least one of which was armed with a gun.

EIGHT KEARNEY SISTERS REUNITED. This family of sisters finally reunited in Franklinton for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic and other issues that kept them apart. They recently enjoyed a weekend of laughter, reminiscing, good food, sewing and a trip to the old homeplace, what they called, "the dirt road," which is the now paved Goswick Road.

HENDERSON -- For the 24th year, doctors and staff at Maria Parham Health have volunteered to provide free prostate screenings for men in the community.
In recognition of September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, screenings will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29.
No appointments are necessary.