An OPEN THREAD has been established on Facebook for members of the community to receive and share information during and after the storm. A LIVEBLOG has also been established on this website to mirror content on Facebook for those who don't do social media, which is about 70% of Maconians. Macon Media would like to thank Old Castle and Yound Tree Service for their continued financial sponsorship that makes coverage of severe weather events possible.
Here is an index to assist you in moving from section to section within the article.
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Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Russo-UKrainian War Updates
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
Support Macon Media
GENERAL OUTLOOK
Warm and dry temperatures will continue today, before a potent cold front arrives on Saturday, driving widespread rain and some afternoon thunder. Temperatures will remain elevated for March until Monday, when another round of rainfall will arrive, followed by cooler and drier conditions for the middle of next week.
---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---
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Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.
Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC
All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we̢۪ll help you with your next project.
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Local Weather
General Forecast Through Sunday Night
Franklin Area
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before midmorning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 70s. Winds out of the south 15 to 20 mph in the morning increasing and shifting to come out of the southwest 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the west 10 to 20 mph decreasing to become light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph, mainly before midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds early in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 9pm. Partly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 70s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs in the upper 60s. Winds out of the southwest 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of teh west 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Winds out of the southwest 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the south after midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.
Monday
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s.
Otto and South Central Macon County
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before midmorning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 70s. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 20 mph in the morning increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 50. Winds out of the west 5 to 15 mph shifting ti come out of the northeast before midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds early in the moning increasing to come out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the south before midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 2pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 70s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s.
Nantahala Area
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9am, then a slight chance of showers. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the lower 70s. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 25 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the west 10 to 15 mph decreasing and shifting to come out of the southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs near 70. Light winds out of the southwest early in the morning increasing to 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 9pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph shifting to come out of the southeast before midnight.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A line of strong storms is expected to pass through Macopn Copunty between 4am ond day break, so plase use caution in traveling. We are also under a High Wind Advisory, with winds expected to exceed 40 mph. This will likely lead to multiple power outages.
Latest US Drought Monitor Map for North Carolina.
Space Weather Mystery Farside Blast and Earth-Directed Storms Launch | Solar Storm Forecast: 14 March 2023
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Almanac
24 Hour Smoke Forecast
No known appreciable smoke field will be crossing Macon County today or tonight.
PM2.5 AQI is 45 (GOOD) for most of the county, and the ridges and other higher elevations PM2.5 AQI is 45 (GOOD)
Fire and Smoke Map
Local Air Monitor
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the high range (7.6 out of 12) today with Jumiper, Oak, and Maple being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium range (10.6 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for March 25th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 84°F in Highlands in 1929
Lowest Temperature 14°F in Franklin in 1956
Greatest One-Day Rain 3.14 inches in Highlands in 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 5.5 inches in Highlands in 1971
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of March Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 87°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-29-2020
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Highlands on 03-07-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.61 inches in Highlands on 03-26-2021
Greatest Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-13-1993
Record Weather Events for March 25th in North Carolina
Highest Temperature 93°F in Lexington, Davidson County in 1945
Lowest Temperature 6°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1956
Greatest Rainfall 3.64 inches in Fletcher, Buncombe County in 2021
Greatest Snowfall 12.0 inches in Tarboro, Edgecombe County in 1983
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of March Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 98°F in Belhaven, Beaufort County on 03-27-1921
Lowest Temperature -11°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 03-03-1980
Greatest Rainfall 10.10 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 03-04-1979
Greatest Snowfall 36.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 03-13-1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
Friends of the Macon County Public Library Sets Used Bookstore Half-price Sale March 31 and April 1
WHAT: Friends of the Macon County Public Library (FOL) Used Bookstore Half-Price Sale
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1, 2023
WHERE: Friends of the Macon County Public Library Used Bookstore, 115 Highlands Rd., Franklin
WHY: Raise money to support programs and events at the library
No events have been submitted for Macon Calendar.
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Local and State News
• Angel Medical Center President's Column for March 2023 [Macon Media (Franklin, NC)]
• The Wrap: Gun bill vetoed, Wood pleads guilty, Medicaid passes and gambling rolls [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• It’s against the law to throw plastic bottles (and other items) in the trash in NC [https://archive.is/MacKX]
• Gov. Cooper vetoes bill eliminating North Carolina's pistol purchase permit system [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]
• Canton’s Government Ponders Austerity Measures [Smoky Mountain News]
Murdaugh Trial + Women in Politics | This Week in South Carolina
Proposed State Budget for 2023-2025 [Download PDF]
• Macon County Board of Commissioners March 2023 Regular Meeting [Macon Media]
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National and World News Roundup
• Nearly $100 billion in deposits pulled from banks; officials call system ‘sound and resilient’ [CNBC]
President Biden addresses the Canadian Parliament | Yahoo! Finance
• US-Canada agree to turn back asylum seekers at border [BBC News]
• Suspicious powder sent to Manhattan office of DA probing Trump is ‘nonhazardous’ [Politico]
• Trump Suggests New York Indictment Could Bring ‘Potential Death and Destruction’ [WSJ (video and audio)] [WSJ (article archive)]
• Former Trump Officials Must Testify in 2020 Election Inquiry, Judge Says [New York Times]
NewsNation national security contributor analyzes international threats | NewsNation Live
• Officials: 2 dead, 9 unaccounted for in Reading chocolate factory explosion [WTXF-TV (Philadelphia, PA)]
• France burns as anger erupts over Macron pension reforms [Courthouse News Service]
• Xi snubbed Putin after their summit, calling a meeting of Central Asian countries as part of an audacious power play [MSN]
• Nordic Nations Agree to Jointly Operate Fighter Jet Fleet of 250 [Yahoo! News]
• China threatens 'serious consequences' over US warship [DW News]
Washington Today (3-24-23): President Biden in Canada, announces deal on asylum-seeking migrants | C-SPAN RADIO
Global National: March 24, 2023 | What deals were reached with Trudeau on Biden's trip to Canada
Nightly News Full Broadcast (March 24th)
PBS NewsHour full episode, (March 24, 2022
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Here is a section on COVID-19. It includes local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County:
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 102,544,598 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,114,970 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 10 February 2023, a total of 662,514,513 vaccine doses have been administered.
Globally, as of 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 761,071,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,879,677 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 19 March 2023, a total of 13,244,177,602 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Vaccination, Paxlovid decrease risk of long Covid, studies show [ CNN ]
• US House Intel Chairman on the origins of Covid-19 [ BBC News ]
• Intranasal trimeric sherpabody inhibits SARS-CoV-2 including recent immunoevasive Omicron subvariants [ Nature: Communications ]
• Life Is Worse for Older People Now [ The Atlantic ]
• Rand Paul says he wouldn't give his children Covid vaccinations over myocarditis concerns [ NBC News via Yahoo! News ]
Ep 127 Osterholm Update: A Tough Two Weeks
• TWiV 993: COVID-19 drives autoimmunity [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 992: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• Utah governor signs new laws requiring parental consent for under-18s to use social media [The Verge]
• France bans TikTok, Twitter from government staff phones amid security concerns [PBS News Hour]
• Gordon Moore, Intel Co-Founder and Author of Moore’s Law, Dies at 94 [Wall Street Journal]
• New Evidence: Immune System Cells in the Gut Linked to Stress-Induced Depression [Johns Hopkins Medecine]
• In-car subscriptions are not popular with new car buyers, survey shows [ARS TECHNICA]
• The Internet Archive has lost its first fight to scan and lend e-books like a library [The Verge]
• ChatGPT can now access the internet and run the code it writes [New Atlas]
• The Far-Flung Origin of Life’s Building Blocks: Researchers Uncover “Completely Unexpected” Findings [SciTechDaily]
• Z-Library returns, aims to avoid seizures by giving each user a secret URL [ARS TECHNICA]
Evergreen Links
• Red Dead Online player bids farewell to Google Stadia save by releasing horse they named after their departed daughter [Games Radar]
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History 69 - Twilight of the Æsir
Hardcore History: AddendumEP24 Manifesting the Muse with Rick | Dan Carlin
• Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 drops white paper on building the open metaverse [Venture Beat] [PDF of White paper]
• Yes, the Great Books Make Us Better People [New York Times]
How Do We Know What We Know? Philosophy of Science | Fraser Cain
Podcasts and Long Form Videos (History, Culture, Science, Space, Technology and Current Events)
Anything covering educational, entertainment, history, current events, and technology topics
The Level1 Show March 24 2023: ChatGPT Is My Copilot | Level1 Techs
Tinkers Gonna Tinker - DTNS 4484 | Daily Tech News
My Channel Was Deleted Last Night | Linus Tech Tips
Revolutionary 100-Kilometer Space Telescope [NIAC 2023] | Fraser Cain
The waters of the Amazon | DW Documentary
Why Russia's Invasion of Poland Failed (Polish-Soviet War Documentary) | The Great War
Goodbye DP Review, Canon Transformers, New Rolleiflex TLR Camera and More | Adorama Rewind 3/24/23
How Fascism Took Hold In Germany (Hitler: Germany's Fatal Attraction Full Series) | All Out History
The Podman Perspective - Self-Hosted 93 | Jupiter Broadcasting
Tom's Top Five - Top 5 Things to Know About ChatGPT | Daily Tech News Show
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Special Section: The Russo-Ukrainian War
(sharing of a particular source is not an endorsement)
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 24 [Institute for the Study of War] [PDF for March 24th]
• Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 395 [Al Jazeera]
• Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 394: EU leaders support the creation of a special tribunal for Russia [Euromaiden Press]
• Ukrainian children describe abuse at Russian-run ‘re-education’ camps [TVP World]
• Ukraine updates: Kyiv prepares for counterassault [DW News]
• Russia puts Putin’s ex-speechwriter on wanted list over Ukraine [Al Jazeera]
• 'Ukraine is winning this war, the only question is how fast and at what price' [France 24]
• Russian troops losing momentum in battle of Bakhmut as Ukraine puts up strong defence [WION]
🔴 (NSFW) - The NLAWs Visit, Ukrainian TCCC, Police Stations Shoot Back | Funker530 LIVE Recap
Day 394: Ukraïnian Map | Ukrainian News TV
Latest Video of the Marine Drone Attack at Sevastopol Harbour, Plus Satellite Images from March 23 | Suchomimus
"I love our kids..." – the last words of a Ukrainian soldier - Military Mind | TVP World
Russia 'will bomb any country that arrests Putin' and Xi's final words | Ukraine: The Latest Telegraph Podcast
News from Russian or pro-Russian outlets or Video About the Russian Perspective
Massive Russian offensives are underway to terminate Ukraine | Straight Calls with Douglas Macgregor
• Dmitry Trenin: Here's why Xi's Moscow visit is a key moment in the struggle to end US hegemony [Russia Today]
• Russian General Staff prepares for possible offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine [Pravda]
• Results of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia matter, not Western reaction — Kremlin [TASS Russian News Agency]
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On This Day
March 25 is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 281 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto.
708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967.
717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy.
919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII.
1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government.
1065 – The Great German Pilgrimage is attacked on Good Friday by Beduin bandits, suffering heavy losses.
1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland).
1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism.
1519 – Hernando Cortes, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians.
1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London.
1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia.
1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.
1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain.
1770 – Daskalogiannis, leads the people of Sfakia in the first Greek uprising against the Ottoman rule
1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom.
1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world.
1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.
1821 – Greek War of Independence: Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar).
1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army.
1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union.
1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.
1905 – The Greek football club P.A.E. G.S. Diagoras is founded in the city of Rhodes.
1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.
1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair.
1914 – The Greek multi-sport club Aris Thessaloniki is founded in Thessaloniki.
1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established.
1919 – The Tetiev pogrom occurs in Ukraine, becoming the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust.
1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic.
1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.
1932 – The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is unveiled in Athens.
1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.
1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds.
1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members.
1959 – Chain Island is sold by the State of California to Russell Gallaway III, a Sacramento businessman who plans to use it as a "hunting and fishing retreat", for $5,258.20 ($48,877 in 2021).
1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos.
1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by his nephew.
1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham.
1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.
2018 – Syrian civil war: Following the completion of the Afrin offensive, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) initiate an insurgency against the Turkish occupation of the Afrin District.
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Published at 5:00am on Satuday, March 25, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center.
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Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Russo-UKrainian War Updates
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
Support Macon Media
GENERAL OUTLOOK
Warm and dry temperatures will continue today, before a potent cold front arrives on Saturday, driving widespread rain and some afternoon thunder. Temperatures will remain elevated for March until Monday, when another round of rainfall will arrive, followed by cooler and drier conditions for the middle of next week.
---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---
Weather Sponsor
Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.
Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC
All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we̢۪ll help you with your next project.
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Local Weather
General Forecast Through Sunday Night
Franklin Area
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before midmorning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 70s. Winds out of the south 15 to 20 mph in the morning increasing and shifting to come out of the southwest 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the upper 40s. Winds out of the west 10 to 20 mph decreasing to become light and variable after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph, mainly before midnight.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds early in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after 9pm. Partly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 70s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs in the upper 60s. Winds out of the southwest 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of teh west 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Winds out of the southwest 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Sunday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the south after midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.
Monday
A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid 60s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s.
Otto and South Central Macon County
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10am, then a slight chance of showers. Areas of fog before midmorning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the mid 70s. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 20 mph in the morning increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 50. Winds out of the west 5 to 15 mph shifting ti come out of the northeast before midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds early in the moning increasing to come out of the southwest 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night
Showers likely, mainly after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the south before midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 2pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 70s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 40s.
Nantahala Area
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9am, then a slight chance of showers. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy through midmorning, then gradual clearing, with highs in the lower 70s. Winds out of the southwest 15 to 25 mph increasing to 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 44 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the west 10 to 15 mph decreasing and shifting to come out of the southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday
Sunny, with highs near 70. Light winds out of the southwest early in the morning increasing to 10 to 15 mph by midmorning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Sunday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after 9pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph shifting to come out of the southeast before midnight.
Monday
A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before noon. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A line of strong storms is expected to pass through Macopn Copunty between 4am ond day break, so plase use caution in traveling. We are also under a High Wind Advisory, with winds expected to exceed 40 mph. This will likely lead to multiple power outages.
Latest US Drought Monitor Map for North Carolina.
Space Weather Mystery Farside Blast and Earth-Directed Storms Launch | Solar Storm Forecast: 14 March 2023
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Almanac
24 Hour Smoke Forecast
No known appreciable smoke field will be crossing Macon County today or tonight.
PM2.5 AQI is 45 (GOOD) for most of the county, and the ridges and other higher elevations PM2.5 AQI is 45 (GOOD)
Fire and Smoke Map
Local Air Monitor
Pollen levels are expected to be in the high range (7.6 out of 12) today with Jumiper, Oak, and Maple being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium range (10.6 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for March 25th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 84°F in Highlands in 1929
Lowest Temperature 14°F in Franklin in 1956
Greatest One-Day Rain 3.14 inches in Highlands in 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 5.5 inches in Highlands in 1971
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of March Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 87°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-29-2020
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Highlands on 03-07-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.61 inches in Highlands on 03-26-2021
Greatest Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 03-13-1993
Record Weather Events for March 25th in North Carolina
Highest Temperature 93°F in Lexington, Davidson County in 1945
Lowest Temperature 6°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1956
Greatest Rainfall 3.64 inches in Fletcher, Buncombe County in 2021
Greatest Snowfall 12.0 inches in Tarboro, Edgecombe County in 1983
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of March Data available from 1872
Highest Temperature 98°F in Belhaven, Beaufort County on 03-27-1921
Lowest Temperature -11°F in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 03-03-1980
Greatest Rainfall 10.10 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 03-04-1979
Greatest Snowfall 36.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 03-13-1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
Friends of the Macon County Public Library Sets Used Bookstore Half-price Sale March 31 and April 1
WHAT: Friends of the Macon County Public Library (FOL) Used Bookstore Half-Price Sale
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1, 2023
WHERE: Friends of the Macon County Public Library Used Bookstore, 115 Highlands Rd., Franklin
WHY: Raise money to support programs and events at the library
No events have been submitted for Macon Calendar.
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Local and State News
• Angel Medical Center President's Column for March 2023 [Macon Media (Franklin, NC)]
• The Wrap: Gun bill vetoed, Wood pleads guilty, Medicaid passes and gambling rolls [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• It’s against the law to throw plastic bottles (and other items) in the trash in NC [https://archive.is/MacKX]
• Gov. Cooper vetoes bill eliminating North Carolina's pistol purchase permit system [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]
• Canton’s Government Ponders Austerity Measures [Smoky Mountain News]
Murdaugh Trial + Women in Politics | This Week in South Carolina
Proposed State Budget for 2023-2025 [Download PDF]
• Macon County Board of Commissioners March 2023 Regular Meeting [Macon Media]
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National and World News Roundup
• Nearly $100 billion in deposits pulled from banks; officials call system ‘sound and resilient’ [CNBC]
President Biden addresses the Canadian Parliament | Yahoo! Finance
• US-Canada agree to turn back asylum seekers at border [BBC News]
• Suspicious powder sent to Manhattan office of DA probing Trump is ‘nonhazardous’ [Politico]
• Trump Suggests New York Indictment Could Bring ‘Potential Death and Destruction’ [WSJ (video and audio)] [WSJ (article archive)]
• Former Trump Officials Must Testify in 2020 Election Inquiry, Judge Says [New York Times]
NewsNation national security contributor analyzes international threats | NewsNation Live
• Officials: 2 dead, 9 unaccounted for in Reading chocolate factory explosion [WTXF-TV (Philadelphia, PA)]
• France burns as anger erupts over Macron pension reforms [Courthouse News Service]
• Xi snubbed Putin after their summit, calling a meeting of Central Asian countries as part of an audacious power play [MSN]
• Nordic Nations Agree to Jointly Operate Fighter Jet Fleet of 250 [Yahoo! News]
• China threatens 'serious consequences' over US warship [DW News]
Washington Today (3-24-23): President Biden in Canada, announces deal on asylum-seeking migrants | C-SPAN RADIO
Global National: March 24, 2023 | What deals were reached with Trudeau on Biden's trip to Canada
Nightly News Full Broadcast (March 24th)
PBS NewsHour full episode, (March 24, 2022
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Here is a section on COVID-19. It includes local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County:
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 102,544,598 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,114,970 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 10 February 2023, a total of 662,514,513 vaccine doses have been administered.
Globally, as of 6:06pm CET, 21 March 2023, there have been 761,071,826 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6,879,677 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 19 March 2023, a total of 13,244,177,602 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Vaccination, Paxlovid decrease risk of long Covid, studies show [ CNN ]
• US House Intel Chairman on the origins of Covid-19 [ BBC News ]
• Intranasal trimeric sherpabody inhibits SARS-CoV-2 including recent immunoevasive Omicron subvariants [ Nature: Communications ]
• Life Is Worse for Older People Now [ The Atlantic ]
• Rand Paul says he wouldn't give his children Covid vaccinations over myocarditis concerns [ NBC News via Yahoo! News ]
Ep 127 Osterholm Update: A Tough Two Weeks
• TWiV 993: COVID-19 drives autoimmunity [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 992: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
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Science and Technology News Roundup
• Utah governor signs new laws requiring parental consent for under-18s to use social media [The Verge]
• France bans TikTok, Twitter from government staff phones amid security concerns [PBS News Hour]
• Gordon Moore, Intel Co-Founder and Author of Moore’s Law, Dies at 94 [Wall Street Journal]
• New Evidence: Immune System Cells in the Gut Linked to Stress-Induced Depression [Johns Hopkins Medecine]
• In-car subscriptions are not popular with new car buyers, survey shows [ARS TECHNICA]
• The Internet Archive has lost its first fight to scan and lend e-books like a library [The Verge]
• ChatGPT can now access the internet and run the code it writes [New Atlas]
• The Far-Flung Origin of Life’s Building Blocks: Researchers Uncover “Completely Unexpected” Findings [SciTechDaily]
• Z-Library returns, aims to avoid seizures by giving each user a secret URL [ARS TECHNICA]
Evergreen Links
• Red Dead Online player bids farewell to Google Stadia save by releasing horse they named after their departed daughter [Games Radar]
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History 69 - Twilight of the Æsir
Hardcore History: AddendumEP24 Manifesting the Muse with Rick | Dan Carlin
• Neal Stephenson’s Lamina1 drops white paper on building the open metaverse [Venture Beat] [PDF of White paper]
• Yes, the Great Books Make Us Better People [New York Times]
How Do We Know What We Know? Philosophy of Science | Fraser Cain
Podcasts and Long Form Videos (History, Culture, Science, Space, Technology and Current Events)
Anything covering educational, entertainment, history, current events, and technology topics
The Level1 Show March 24 2023: ChatGPT Is My Copilot | Level1 Techs
Tinkers Gonna Tinker - DTNS 4484 | Daily Tech News
My Channel Was Deleted Last Night | Linus Tech Tips
Revolutionary 100-Kilometer Space Telescope [NIAC 2023] | Fraser Cain
The waters of the Amazon | DW Documentary
Why Russia's Invasion of Poland Failed (Polish-Soviet War Documentary) | The Great War
Goodbye DP Review, Canon Transformers, New Rolleiflex TLR Camera and More | Adorama Rewind 3/24/23
How Fascism Took Hold In Germany (Hitler: Germany's Fatal Attraction Full Series) | All Out History
The Podman Perspective - Self-Hosted 93 | Jupiter Broadcasting
Tom's Top Five - Top 5 Things to Know About ChatGPT | Daily Tech News Show
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Special Section: The Russo-Ukrainian War
(sharing of a particular source is not an endorsement)
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 24 [Institute for the Study of War] [PDF for March 24th]
• Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 395 [Al Jazeera]
• Russo-Ukrainian War. Day 394: EU leaders support the creation of a special tribunal for Russia [Euromaiden Press]
• Ukrainian children describe abuse at Russian-run ‘re-education’ camps [TVP World]
• Ukraine updates: Kyiv prepares for counterassault [DW News]
• Russia puts Putin’s ex-speechwriter on wanted list over Ukraine [Al Jazeera]
• 'Ukraine is winning this war, the only question is how fast and at what price' [France 24]
• Russian troops losing momentum in battle of Bakhmut as Ukraine puts up strong defence [WION]
🔴 (NSFW) - The NLAWs Visit, Ukrainian TCCC, Police Stations Shoot Back | Funker530 LIVE Recap
Day 394: Ukraïnian Map | Ukrainian News TV
Latest Video of the Marine Drone Attack at Sevastopol Harbour, Plus Satellite Images from March 23 | Suchomimus
"I love our kids..." – the last words of a Ukrainian soldier - Military Mind | TVP World
Russia 'will bomb any country that arrests Putin' and Xi's final words | Ukraine: The Latest Telegraph Podcast
News from Russian or pro-Russian outlets or Video About the Russian Perspective
Massive Russian offensives are underway to terminate Ukraine | Straight Calls with Douglas Macgregor
• Dmitry Trenin: Here's why Xi's Moscow visit is a key moment in the struggle to end US hegemony [Russia Today]
• Russian General Staff prepares for possible offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine [Pravda]
• Results of Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia matter, not Western reaction — Kremlin [TASS Russian News Agency]
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On This Day
March 25 is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 281 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
421 – Italian city Venice is founded with the dedication of the first church, that of San Giacomo di Rialto on the islet of Rialto.
708 – Pope Constantine becomes the 88th pope. He would be the last pope to visit Constantinople until 1967.
717 – Theodosius III resigns the throne to the Byzantine Empire to enter the clergy.
919 – Romanos Lekapenos seizes the Boukoleon Palace in Constantinople and becomes regent of the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII.
1000 – Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah assassinates the eunuch chief minister Barjawan and assumes control of the government.
1065 – The Great German Pilgrimage is attacked on Good Friday by Beduin bandits, suffering heavy losses.
1306 – Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scots (Scotland).
1409 – The Council of Pisa convenes, in an attempt to heal the Western Schism.
1519 – Hernando Cortes, entering province of Tabasco, defeats Tabascan Indians.
1576 – Jerome Savage takes out a sub-lease to start the Newington Butts Theatre outside London.
1584 – Sir Walter Raleigh is granted a patent to colonize Virginia.
1655 – Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.
1708 – A French fleet anchors nears Fife Ness as part of the planned French invasion of Britain.
1770 – Daskalogiannis, leads the people of Sfakia in the first Greek uprising against the Ottoman rule
1802 – The Treaty of Amiens is signed as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between France and the United Kingdom.
1807 – The Swansea and Mumbles Railway, then known as the Oystermouth Railway, becomes the first passenger-carrying railway in the world.
1811 – Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing the pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism.
1821 – Greek War of Independence: Traditional date of the start of the Greek War of Independence. The war had actually begun on 23 February 1821 (Julian calendar).
1845 – New Zealand Legislative Council pass the first Militia Act constituting the New Zealand Army.
1865 – American Civil War: In Virginia, Confederate forces temporarily capture Fort Stedman from the Union.
1894 – Coxey's Army, the first significant American protest march, departs Massillon, Ohio for Washington, D.C.
1905 – The Greek football club P.A.E. G.S. Diagoras is founded in the city of Rhodes.
1911 – In New York City, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 garment workers.
1911 – Andrey Yushchinsky is murdered in Kiev, leading to the Beilis affair.
1914 – The Greek multi-sport club Aris Thessaloniki is founded in Thessaloniki.
1917 – The Georgian Orthodox Church restores its autocephaly abolished by Imperial Russia in 1811.
1918 – The Belarusian People's Republic is established.
1919 – The Tetiev pogrom occurs in Ukraine, becoming the prototype of mass murder during the Holocaust.
1924 – On the anniversary of Greek Independence, Alexandros Papanastasiou proclaims the Second Hellenic Republic.
1931 – The Scottsboro Boys are arrested in Alabama and charged with rape.
1932 – The famous Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is unveiled in Athens.
1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers with the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
1947 – An explosion in a coal mine in Centralia, Illinois kills 111.
1948 – The first successful tornado forecast predicts that a tornado will strike Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.
1949 – More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
1957 – United States Customs seizes copies of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl" on obscenity grounds.
1957 – The European Economic Community is established with West Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg as the first members.
1959 – Chain Island is sold by the State of California to Russell Gallaway III, a Sacramento businessman who plans to use it as a "hunting and fishing retreat", for $5,258.20 ($48,877 in 2021).
1965 – Civil rights activists led by Martin Luther King Jr. successfully complete their 4-day 50-mile march from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.
1971 – The Army of the Republic of Vietnam abandon an attempt to cut off the Ho Chi Minh trail in Laos.
1975 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia is shot and killed by his nephew.
1979 – The first fully functional Space Shuttle orbiter, Columbia, is delivered to the John F. Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for its first launch.
1988 – The Candle demonstration in Bratislava is the first mass demonstration of the 1980s against the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
1995 – WikiWikiWeb, the world's first wiki, and part of the Portland Pattern Repository, is made public by Ward Cunningham.
1996 – The European Union's Veterinarian Committee bans the export of British beef and its by-products as a result of mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
2006 – Capitol Hill massacre: A gunman kills six people before taking his own life at a party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
2006 – Protesters demanding a new election in Belarus, following the rigged 2006 Belarusian presidential election, clash with riot police. Opposition leader Aleksander Kozulin is among several protesters arrested.
2018 – Syrian civil war: Following the completion of the Afrin offensive, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) initiate an insurgency against the Turkish occupation of the Afrin District.
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Support Macon Media
If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.
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Published at 5:00am on Satuday, March 25, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center.
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