Macon County Planning Board Video of December 2014 Meeting

The Macon County Planning Board met for the regular December 2014 meeting last night at the Health Department. Commissioner Jimmy Tate reflected on his time served on the board for the last 5 years, he introduced Commissioner Gary Shields, who would be taking his place as liaison to the planning board. Two citizens spoke during public comment. James Wright shared his noise and nuisance problems that had been ongoing for over two...

Read More

Tractor Trailer Rolls Over on Cowee Mountain

On December 16, 2014, a tractor trailer rolled over in Waterspicket Curve near the top of Cowee Mountain on US-441. Mountain Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Macon County EMS and the North Carolina Highway Patrol responded to the incident. Firefighters, EMS and bystanders extricated the driver of the truck and Macon County EMS transported the victims to Angel Community Hospital. Here are some photos and video from the scene, with snippets of...

Read More

Area law enforcement seeking subject wanted for several felonies, including kidnapping

**update** 12/05/2014: The manhunt is over and Jester has been taken into custody by the Rabun County Sheriff's Office at 1:45 pm on December 5th in a field near Yorkhouse Road in Mountain City. The manhunt had started around 10:30 pm the previous evening. Law Enforcement in North Georgia and western North Carolina are on the lookout for a Phillip Norman Jester for kidnapping, grand theft auto, eluding arrest and several other felonies. The audio included...

Read More

Board of Education Swears In Fred Goldsmith and Tommy Cabe Re-elects Leadership Recognizes Service of Gary Shields

The Macon County Board of Education met this morning at 9 am. The first order of business was to swear in Tommy Cabe and Fred Goldsmith to the board. The board then proceeded to re-elect Jim Breedlove as Chairman and Tommy Cabe as Vice Chairman. The board then presented former board member Gary Shields with a plaque recognizing his service on the school board. Gary Shields did not run for re-election to the board of education and mounted a successful...

Read More

2014 Veterans Day Observance in Franklin

The Franklin Main Street Program hosted an event to honor local veterans on Veterans Day, starting with a parade, then a program that included patriotic music and a speech by David Adams, Chief of the Franklin Police Department, and a wreath laying ceremony in the courthouse plaza. Video and photos from the event are posted below. ...

Read More

October 2014 Meeting of Macon County Board of Education

Migration Celebration 2014 Poster A Migration Celebration poster created for a project that was presented  to the school board by local students.  The butterfly pics are courtesy of Jeffrey Pippen.​ Here is the agenda packet that was released to the local media. Macon Co Board of Education Agenda for Media 10-27-2014 by Thunder Pig The full video of the October 2014 meeting of the Macon County School Board is below. Here is a briefing of what transpired during the meeting, starting with a roll call of local...

Read More

Macon County Airport Authority October 2014 Meeting

The Macon County Airport Authority met on October 28, 2014. Among the items discussed was closing out the runway construction project and beginning the taxiway improvement. Also mentioned were bids for a rotating beacon and a discussion about the helipad lights and AWOS Radio System that no longer work. The Airport Authority meets on the last Tuesday of the month...

Read More

NCAE School Board Candidates' Forum

The Macon County chapter of the North carolina Association of Educators sponsored a forum for candidates running for the school board. Video of the full forum is posted below. ...

Read More

The Little Free Library on Main Street

The Macon County Public Library, a member of the Fontana Regional Library, and the Friends of the Library installed their first Little Free Library at the Franklin Town Hall yesterday.  The Little Library was initially stocked with books donated to the Friends of the Library and children’s books donated to Read2Me. The Little Library, built by a dedicated volunteer Jim Hartje, was inspired by the architecture of the Macon County Public...

Read More

Marine helicopters refuel at airport

Two UH-1Y Venoms and six AH-1W Super Cobras stopped to refuel at the Macon County Airport in Franklin, NC on October 16, 2014 and I was lucky enough to be able to capture the event on video and take a few photos while the Marines went about their duties. For those with a limited attention span, here is a short video: and for those of us who can't get enough of this stuff, here is nearly 17 minutes of over an hour of footage: The helicopters...

Read More

Macon County Planning Board October 2014

The Macon County Planning Board met yesterday afternoon at the direction of the county commissioners to investigate a potential noise ordinance for the county. The bulk of the meeting consisted of a conversation with Sheriff Robbie Holland, who shared some statistics with the board. He said according to the Macon County 911 Center, Macon County Deputies answered 13,443 calls in 2011, 13,337 calls in 2012, 14,125 calls in 2013 and 11,239 calls...

Read More

Dedication of the Robert C. Carpenter Building

Family friends and local dignitaries gathered at the Community Facilities Building to mark the renaming of the building in honor of the life and legacy of the late Bob Carpenter, who served eight terms in the North Carolina General Assembly and was very active in the community. People shared their stories about Bob's life and a resolution passed by the Macon County Commissioners was hung in the entry and then dignitaries posed for photos....

Read More

League of Women Voters Host Candidates for County Commissioner

The Macon County League of Women Voters hosted a forum for candidates for county commissioner Thursday at noon in Tartan Hall. I posted a live play by play on Google Plus and Facebook and recorded the event on video. The video is embedded below so you can see the entire forum and hear word for word the questions and the answers to each. ...

Read More

Aldermen pass resolution reaffirming ownership of Nikwasi, willing to work with tribe on maintenance

During the October 6, 2014 meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen, the board passed a resolution reaffirming the ownership of the Nikwasi Mound and their desire to preserve it according to the deed for the citizens of the Town of Franklin and Macon County. Here is a short video of the Mayor reading the resolution into the record and the 5-0 vote of the Aldermen approving it: Here is the resolution: WHEREAS, the ownership of...

Read More

Press Release: Ruby Cinemas changes ownership

PRESS RELEASE David L Parlier Owner / General Manager Ruby Cinemas ------------------------------------ Ruby Cinemas changes ownership After working as the Manager of Ruby Cinemas for the last 15 years, as of Friday October 3, David Parlier will assume ownership of Macon County’s movie theater. Parlier officially became owner of the theater on Friday and purchased the theater from James Dzurus and Harvey Gibbs, who have been part of the ownership...

Read More

WCU Debate Series: Senator Jim Davis faces Jane Hipps

The third debate in the series of debates sponsored by the Public Policy Institute and the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University wrapped up last night with incumbent NC Senator Jim Davis facing Jane Hipps in the new College of Health and Human Sevices Building on Little Savannah Road in Cullowhee, NC. The event was moderated by WLOS-TV Anchor Frank Fraboni. Both candidates were impassioned and forceful...

Read More

Candidates for District Attorney Participate in Forum in Canton, NC

On Sunday, September 26, 2014, the candidates running for District Attorney in the 30th Prosecutorial District participated in a forum at the Colonial Theater in Canton, NC. Thomas Amburgey, District Attorney in the 28th District, moderated. The event was sponsored by the WNC Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Drugs in our Midst and hosted by the Town of Canton. Here is the full video of the forum: The candidates met one time...

Read More

Brevard Blue Devils at Franklin Panthers 09-26-2014

On Friday, September 26, 2014, the Brevard Blue Devils played the Franklin Panthers at the Panther Pit in Franklin, NC. Franklin won 44-7 and advanced to 4-0 and 1-0 in conference play. Here is video of the game, minus the first ten minutes or so of the first quarter that are missing due to a camera malfunction. ...

Read More

Special Called Meeting -- Budget Work Session Macon County Board of Education 09-16-2014

WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED The Macon County Board of Education held a special called meeting in order to have a budget work session. The main aim was to set priorities for Capital Outlay taking into account input from school principals and maintenance. The meeting last a little under two hours and board members voted to allocate approximately $52,000 of the $108,000 left in the Capital Outlay line item for a phone system for Soputh Macon Elementary...

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 12:58 pm - 1:39 pm (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 12:16 pm - 12:58 pm (September 11, 2001)

...

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 11:34 am - 12:16 pm (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 10:53 am - 11:34 am (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 10:11 am - 10:53 am (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 9:29 am - 10:11 am (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

CNN Sept. 11, 2001 8:48 am - 9:29 am (September 11, 2001)

As part of marking the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, here is part of the video feed from CNN as they took place....

Read More

Names and Faces of September 11, 2001

Here are the names of those who died in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001: List of World Trade Center Victims(not including plane crews or passengers) Gordon M. Aamoth, Jr.Edelmiro AbadMaria Rose AbadAndrew Anthony AbateVincent AbateLaurence Christopher AbelWilliam F. AbrahamsonRichard Anthony AcetoJesus Acevedo RescandHeinrich Bernhard AckermannPaul AcquavivaDonald LaRoy AdamsPatrick AdamsShannon Lewis AdamsStephen George AdamsIgnatius...

Read More