By midmorning Tuesday, early votes for the Nov. 3 open primary, congressional, presidential election totaled 3,949 while 580 mail ballots had arrived, according to Geneva Cupp, Franklin Parish Registrar.

Franklin Parish public schools are currently down 89 students equaling approximately $356,000 in Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) funding, said Rebecca Boquet, business manager.

The Franklin Parish Catfish Festival has come to the end of its run after nearly 33 years, said Paul Price Jr, festival director.

The Franklin Parish Police Jury recorded a net position of $31,808,310 in Dec. 31, 2019, according to an audit report released by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office.

Itinerant vendors and peddlers will now have to pay $200 before they sell their wares in Winnsboro, including the vendors and peddlers of the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival.

In person early voting in Franklin Parish totaled 1,583 as of mid-morning Tuesday, said Geneva Cupp, Franklin Parish Registrar of Voters.

Gilbert will apply for upwards of $600,000 in capital outlay funding for upgrades in the village sewer system.

A Mangham police officer is stable but in critical condition after being shot during a traffic stop on La Hwy 425 near the Franklin / Richland parish border.

Hurricane Delta blew through Franklin Parish over the weekend bringing approximately 11 inches of rain to some areas and leaving behind downed trees.  

The Franklin Parish Activity Center was number one on the Police Jury list of 2021 capital outlay projects.

Inspectors will be able to go inside of former Baskin School after Franklin Parish School Board members signed off on the action at their regular Oct. 6 meeting.

Town of Wisner officials will look into rehabilitating their water treatment plant through capital outlay funds.

The annual Winnsboro Christmas parade and Christmas tree lighting will be held this year, said Mayor John Dumas.

Franklin Parish Police Jury members will consider numerous capital outlay projects at their regular meeting Oct. 8.

The annual Farmers Appreciation Banquet has been canceled due to COVID-19, according to Lisa Kiper, Winnsboro-Franklin Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Total patients admitted to Franklin Medical Center for August was 125, down from last year’s monthly total of 148, according to budget numbers.

Franklin Parish schools are reopening at their own “pace” and will continue to take COVID precautions, said John Gullatt school superintendent.

A Franklin Parish Grand Jury indicted Roderick Branch, 40, of second degree murder and aggravated flight from an officer and Henry Wesley, 26, of manslaughter and obstruction of justice in two separate cases Sept. 2.

Gladys Edwards, of Wisner, received the Louisiana Ambassador Award for positively impacting lives of young women.

Deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Oct. 5 for the Nov. 3 presidential general and open congressional primary election, said Geneva Cupp, Franklin Parish Registrar of Voters.

Corn took a slight dip in acreage while soybean acreage increased and cotton acreage took a nose dive, said Carol Pinnell-Allison, LSU AgCenter.

Winnsboro RV park is a step closer to becoming a reality with the Town Council voting 3-2 to submit a full grant application to Office of State Parks in their Monday meeting.

Franklin Parish Police Jury members tabled a decision that would possibly prohibit fishing and other activities at Baker’s Cut-Off from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31.

Louisiana Main Street Recovery Grant program received 26,000 applications for assistance since its inception 35 days ago, according to Treasurer John Schroder.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission on Thursday approved 61 local tax elections that will appear on voters’ December ballots, amid discussions about whether commission members should get involved in the policy debates behind those proposals.

Every casino in Louisiana took in less money in August than during August 2019, according to the latest revenue report made public Thursday.

Ouachita Parish Police Juror Scotty Robinson and a Ruston attorney say 5th District congressional candidate Luke Letlow enticed the police juror with a job offer to stay out of the congressional race.

Michael Stephen Couch, 44, a former private school principal who pled guilty to five counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, was sentenced to seven years, 18 months suspended, during court proceedings Sept. 11 in Franklin Parish.

The Franklin Parish Police Jury voted last week to install a security camera in the shop at the parish public works barn but agreed to block Police Jury staff at the Franklin Parish Courthouse from accessing the camera's footage.

Aldermen for the Village of Gilbert addressed work on ongoing and planned improvements and celebrated the completion of several projects during the Sept. 10 meeting of the village’s board of aldermen.

Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder and Sen. Glen Womack are scheduled to be guest speakers Sept. 16 at two events sponsored by the Winnsboro - Franklin Chamber of Commerce.

Hurricane Laura evacuees currently in Texas hotel rooms should consider staying there for a while, because otherwise Louisiana might have to put them in a mass shelter, Gov. John Bel Edwards suggested Thursday.

Louisiana’s governor should be required to seek legislative approval before extending a state of emergency beyond 30 days, an attorney for a conservative think tank argues.

Most Louisiana soybean fields are in decent shape following Hurricane Laura, but there are pockets of serious damage in areas that received strong winds and rain.

Stephen Couch’s sentencing hearing has been re-scheduled for Sept. 11 while a pretrial date of Sept. 29 and trial date of Dec. 7 has been scheduled for Nicholes Trey Glass, said Penny Douciere, Fifth Judicial District Attorney.

A new lease contract if passed from Brogal, Limited Partnership would close Baker’s Cutoff Boat Ramp from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31 and have Franklin Parish Police Jury assume all expenses in building a fence around the property.

Area public schools received minimum damage from Hurricane Laura, according to Superintendent John Gullatt.

Franklin Medical Center preliminary July budget numbers showed an increase in some areas but the hospital’s chief financial officer, Billy Page, cautioned commissioners, figures could be hold overs from previous months.

Hurricane Laura was the most powerful storm on record to hit Louisiana, yet it still was not as destructive as was initially feared, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday.

Louisiana will stay in “phase two” for at least two additional weeks, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday.

Hurricane Laura was intensifying quickly Wednesday morning and was expected to be a Category 4 storm when it arrives overnight near the Louisiana/Texas border.