Recent Articles

Did you hear? Franklin County Cooperative Extension has more opportunities for you to help your community. Many of you might remember the Friends of Youth program in our county a few years ago.

BUNN - Brenda Earle Gregory, 63, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at her home. A graveside memorial service will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Bunn Memorial Gardens.

BUNN - Kaye Driver Brantley, 60, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006. Funeral services will be conducted Friday, April 21, in the chapel of Strickland Funeral Home in Louisburg. Burial will follow in Bunn Cemetery.

WILLARD - Albert Samuel Avery, 67, formerly of Youngsville, died Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice LifeCare Center. A graveside service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at Potts Memorial Presbyterian Church cemetery in Willard, with the Rev. Charles Mosley officiating.

WAKE FOREST - Sarah Ayscue Medlin, 82, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006. Funeral services will be conducted Friday, April 21, at L. Harold Poole Funeral Service chapel, Knightdale, with the Rev. Greg Free officiating. Burial will follow in the Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church cemetery.

RALEIGH - Funeral services for Bishop John H. “Bill” McMillan, 80, who died Monday, April 17, 2006, will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at the Friendship Chapel Baptist Church of Wake Forest, with Apostle Cornelius A. Perry officiating.

FRANKLINTON - Charles A. Brownne, 73, died Monday, April 17, 2006. Arrangements by Bright Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Wake Forest.

Former sheriff’s deputy Ben Barrick had his day in court Monday, and the only thing that was resolved is he will have another one, at least. Barrick appeared briefly in Franklin County Superior Court on involuntary manslaughter charges.

Advocates who fight legal battles for abused, neglected and dependent children released dozens of blue balloons into a similarly hued sky Monday afternoon. The balloons represented the 48 children in this district who have been taken into foster care due to abuse or neglect last year. Shortly after the release of the balloons, though, some got hung up in the limbs of a tree planted along the Franklin County Court House steps.

Commissioners placed the animal control director under the authority of county management in a move expected to empower the position. The decision removes Animal Control from under the direction of the county Department of Health after years of disagreements on how the operations should function. Animal Control Director Graham Stallings began work on March 6 to address six recommendations developed by residents, the Health Department and county staff to improve care at the facility. The recommendations were approved in December 2005, after a task force completed months of research and debate.

If Lauren Jones could give out apples to everyone in Franklin County, her job would be that much sweeter. Prevention in her field of health education is the key, she said, and when people begin to make changes from individual choice about being healthier, much is accomplished. Whether it is eating a red delicious apple instead of a chewy caramel nut bar or smoking a pack of cigarettes in a week instead of in a day, when a person takes responsibility for his well being, the day is done for Jones.

The Franklin-Granville- Vance Partnership for Children is the local agency that houses the Franklin County Adolescent Parenting Program (APP) under the executive direction of Carolyn Malone-Paylor. The APP is administered through the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. The program is funded through a combination of Federal (Medicaid), State and local dollars.

ZEBULON - Vivian Parker Beddingfield, 85, (Pine Ridge Community), died Sunday, April 16, 2006.

RALEIGH - Margaret “Maggie” Varner Groff, 87, died Saturday morning, April 15, 2006 at Universal Healthcare Center. Funeral services, officiated by the Rev. Johnnie Wright of Westover United Methodist Church, were conducted Tuesday, April 18, at Restlawn Memorial Gardens.

YOUNGSVILLE - Denise M. Sciarrone, 48, died Friday, April 14, 2006. Arrangements by Strickland Funeral Home.

ZEBULON - J. Thurman Murray, 90, died Thursday night, April 13, 2006. Funeral services were held Sunday, April 16, at Zebulon Baptist Church.

YOUNGSVILLE - Fred Basil “Papa” Briggs, 85, died Thursday, April 13, 2006 in his home. Funeral services were conducted Monday, April 17, at Oak Grove Baptist Church, with the Rev. Michael Bass officiating. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

LOUISBURG - Stuart Douglas Andrews, 49, died Friday, April 14, 2006. Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 18, at Centerville Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Owen Doyle. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

LOUISBURG - Funeral services for Baby Boy Jávion Vashune Hartsfield, 5 weeks old, who died Sunday, April 16, 2006, will be conducted at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 19) in the Richardson Funeral Home chapel in Louisburg, with the Rev. Anthony Alston officiating. Burial will follow in the Davis family cemetery.

ZEBULON - Andrew Gordon “A.G.” Creech, 75, died Monday, April 17, 2006 at WakeMed. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 20, at Strickland Funeral Home in Wendell. Entombment will follow in the A. G. Creech cemetery.

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