ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Back to School Safety Tips for the 2026-2027 School Year [Macon Media]
• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]
• Nine N.C. counties in exceptional drought as statewide drought continues [Macon Media]
WEATHER OUTLOOK
1. Increased winds and relative humidity below 30% this afternoon will lead to an increased fire threat from open burning.
2. Dry weather is expected to continue for the next seven days.
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SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
The weather is being sponsored by the Caleb for NC Campaign. Caleb is running for the NC House in District 120. Read more about his campaign at https://calebbrownfornc120.com. DAY SPONSOR
This space available
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FORECAST
(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)
.TODAY....Patchy fog this morning. Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds, becoming northwest around 5 mph this afternoon.
.TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 40s. North winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY....Patchy fog in the morning. Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds around 5 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT....Clear. Lows around 40. North winds around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable.
.FRIDAY NIGHT....Clear. Lows in the upper 30s.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Low relative humidity could result in fires getting out of control this afternoon, so please exercise care when burning outdoors.
SPACE WEATHER FORECAST
Hazardous space weather is not in the current forecast. [LINK] https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=21&month=10&year=2026
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.8 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (3.3 out of 12.0)
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
The many ways you can connect to Mountain Findings to arrange donation pick-ups, drop-off location, shopping hours, volunteering, and to learn more on our community grants programs and graduating seniors scholarships.
Facebook: @MountainFindings
Phone: 828-526-9929
Email: MountainFindings1@gmail.com
Webpage: MountainFindings.org
Location: 452 Spruce St, Highlands, NC
LIVE SATURDAY MIDDAY MUSIC CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 2026
11a to 1p at Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
573 E Main St, Franklin, NC 28734
contact: frog28734@gmail.com; 828-369-8488
TBA
To find out more about the Greenway and our organization, our website is: littletennessee.org.
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WEATHER ALMANAC
Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)
Highest Temperature 85°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2016
Lowest Temperature 14°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1952
Greatest Rainfall 1.80 inches in Highlands in 1882
Greatest Snowfall (no measurable snowfall recorded on this date)
Record weather events for October in Macon County
Highest Temperature 91°F in Franklin on Oct 5, 1954
Lowest Temperature 12°F in Highlands on Oct 30, 1910
Greatest Rainfall 1.0 inches in Highlands on Oct 4, 1964
Greatest Snowfall 1.0 inches in Highlands on Oct 20, 1913
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of October
Highest Temperature 103°F in Wadesboro, Anson County on Oct 3, 2019
Lowest Temperature 8°F in Banner Elk, Avery County on Oct 21, 1952
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 12.53 in Lumberton, Robeson County on Oct 8, 2016
Greatest Snowfall 11.0 inches in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on Oct 25, 1990
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WNC News
Here's how you can vote in North Carolina | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Macon County Sheriff Terminates Deputy Over Misuse of License Plate Reader System (Flock Cameras) [Macon Media]
• Trump says Pentagon will invest $1.5 billion into North Carolina chip production [The Hill]
• NC-11 candidate Jamie Ager holds rally in Hendersonville, highlights key issues [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Do you know what to do during a landslide? [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Local physicians dropped from Humana Medicare Advantage plans [The Franklin Press]
• Holbrooks fires deputy for improper use of license plate reader [Macon Sense]
• A tale of two farmers: Ager, Balkcom compete for NC-11 seat [ The Mountaineer ]
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NC News
As early voting turnout surges in NC, Trump makes second visit | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Hundreds of NC complaints accuse gas stations of not lowering prices after tax pause [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Trump rallies NC for Republicans as money dries up, ratings favor Democrats [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Purple Primer: Your Guide to the 2026 Elections in North Carolina [NC Local]
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National News
BlackRock's Fink Sees Inflation Risk in Slow Data-Center Buildout | Bloomberg Television
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - Oct. 20, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - Oct. 20 | NBC News
Washington Today (10-20-26): Survey on socialism & POTUS' use of power | Two weeks to election day | C-SPAN
• How new and refurbished arenas and stadiums are shutting out loyal sports fans [CBS News]
• Trump says Pentagon will invest $1.5 billion into North Carolina chip production [The Hill]
• FACT FOCUS: Trump and Republicans blame France’s immigrants for riots without evidence [AP News]
• Tesla Q3 preview: Delivery outlook, cash flow, and a dash of merger speculation on tap Yahoo News]
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World News
The politics behind the French riots | BBC Newscast | BBC News
Why U.S. Shipbuilding Is Failing the American Merchant Marine | What's Going on With Shipping?
France protests: Govt to impose new curfews where 'situation requires it' | FRANCE 24 English
• Alberta Rejects Independence From Canada [Newsweek]
• S. Korea warns of 'decisive retaliation' as N. Korea threatens to deploy strike assets to border [Yonhap News Agency]
• Live: France to impose more curfews as government seeks to regain control after riots and looting [France 24]
• From France to Albania, social unrest is setting Europe’s streets ablaze [AP News]
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Iran War News
What does Egypt’s offer reveal about the limits of Saudi military power? | DW News
• Iran’s Theory of Victory: Tehran’s Fight for Great-Power Status in the Post-American Middle East [Foreign Affairs]
• Houthi rebels strike Yemen’s government forces, killing at least 53 [AP News]
• Iran Update, October 19, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Qatar says Iran-US talks ongoing [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: Hegseth, Netanyahu hold covert meeting on air force base, Syria fears Israel-backed Druze offensive [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
The Evolution of the Russian Military - Its Strengths and Shortfalls in 2026 (With Michael Kofman) | Perun
Putin wants Ukraine talks. But Ukraine isn't invited | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits the power grid again [AP News]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 19, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• US-Ukraine relations sour as Trump, Zelenskyy clash over talks, arms [Al Jazeera]
• Zelensky, US envoys to hold Oslo talks as Ukraine claims US missile holdup [Yahoo News]
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Financial News
Brace For Higher Gas For Longer 10/20/26 | CNBC Television
Saudi Arabia Delays Flagship Investment Summit to 2027 After Houthi Attacks | Horizons: Middle East and Africa 10/20/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• United Airlines CEO says US should have an inheritance tax 'close to 100%' and he'd pay it [Yahoo Finance]
• Three big takeaways from the IMF-World Bank meetings [CNBC]
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Science News
Plastic Is Fusing With Corals and Creating Bizarre New Minerals | Anton Petrov
• Japan sends MMX toward the martian moons [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1366: Clinical Update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1367: Turning Off Hepatitis B Virus Without Cutting its DNA [Microbe TV]
• New Observations Show How Black Holes Stir Up Material Surrounding A Galaxy [Universe Today]
• Alaska’s monster tsunami sent water 1,580 feet up a mountain [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 16 – 25 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
Starship Flight 15 Date In Sight - With Catches Planned | Starship Update | NASASpaceflight
• Russian spacecraft maneuvers in “extreme proximity” to satellite used by Ukraine [Ars Technica]
• The Fear of a One-Man-Band Weaponizing AI Agents Is Becoming Reality [Gizmodo]
• Court Approves ‘voices38’ Subpoenas After Denuvo Drops Payment and Login Data Requests [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Largest Land Battle Before WWI Caused the First Russian Revolution | Kings and Generals
Forget Vienna: The Battle That ACTUALLY Broke the Ottomans - Párkány, 1683 HistoryMarche
The Collapse of the American Dream: How 20 Years of Renting Beat Buying | The Infographics Show
Unsettling Reasons The Universe May Be Beyond Understanding | Daniel Whiteson | Event Horizon
What's Coming Is Worse Than the Great Depression: Top Economist Explains | ProfSteveKeen
The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction | Marques Brownlee and Auto Focus
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Has the Q4 Equity Correction Finally Arrived? | Benjamin Cowen
The US Housing Market is BREAKING (few are ready) | Coin Bureau
• MapQuest Now Shows Drivers Where Flock Cameras Are Watching [Decrypt]
• Qubic freezes chain after attacker drains 1.4K wallets with weak seeds [Coin Telegraph]
• This Week in Crypto Law (October 18, 2026) [Bitcoin.com]
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Flock Cameras and Constitutional Rights
Flock Cameras Are Not Even the Worst Part of the System | TREX LABS
• Brickbat: Unlicensed Search [Reason Magazine]
• Police say Flock cameras help solve crimes, but critics call them an invasion of privacy [PBS News]
• Schmidt v. Norfolk [ACLU]
• Chatrie v. United States [SCOTUSblog]
• Under Surveillance: Constitutional Concerns Surrounding Flock Cameras [North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology]
• Research Report on Automatic License Plate Readers: Legal Status and Policy Recommendations for Law Enforcement Use [Brennan Cebnter for Justice]
This Flock Camera Leak is like Netflix For Stalkers | Benn Jordan and 404 Media
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Public Records Request for Macon County Flock Safety Cameras
As an independent citizen journalist covering local government in Macon County for over 16 years, I have submitted a public records request to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office for documents related to the Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. This request seeks contracts, board approvals, usage policies, camera locations, performance data, and related correspondence to promote full transparency and public accountability in how this surveillance technology is funded, deployed, and operated with taxpayer resources. By making these records available, we can separate facts from myths, address community concerns about privacy and effectiveness, and ensure informed civic dialogue about tools that impact public safety and individual rights in our rural mountain community.
| from: | Bobby Coggins robertcogginsjr@gmail.com | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| to: |
| ||
| cc: |
| ||
| date: | Jul 11, 2026, 2:13 AM | ||
| subject: | Public Records Request – Flock Safety Cameras / ALPR / License Plate Reader Contract & Related Documents – Macon County Sheriff’s Office | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
Sheriff’s Office Public Records Custodian,
Pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 132), I request the following records related to Flock Safety (or any automated license plate reader/ALPR system):
- All contracts, agreements, amendments, proposals, invoices, payment records, and correspondence between Macon County Sheriff’s Office (or County) and Flock Safety (or Flock Group, Inc.), including any subscription, installation, maintenance, or data access terms.
- Board of Commissioners agendas, minutes, resolutions, motions, or approvals authorizing the purchase, funding, or use of Flock cameras (including budget line items from FY 2023–2024 onward).
- Policies, procedures, manuals, training materials, or guidelines for use of the Flock system by Sheriff’s Office personnel (including access controls, data retention, audit logs, and privacy protections).
- Any usage statistics, reports, or summaries on camera performance, alerts generated, cases assisted, or data shared (redacted as necessary for law enforcement sensitivity).
- Location list or map of all deployed Flock cameras in Macon County.
- Any privacy impact assessments, legal opinions, or correspondence regarding compliance with NC law or data sharing.
Preferred format: Electronic copies (PDF/email) where possible. I am willing to pay reasonable costs; please notify me in advance if fees will exceed $50.
Please provide these records as soon as practicable. If any portion is denied, please provide a written explanation with the specific legal basis and contact information for appeal.
Thank you for your assistance. I can be reached at robertciogginsjr@gmail.com.
Sincerely, Bobby Coggins, Publisher Macon Media [robertciogginsjr@gmail.com]
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Published at 6:00am on Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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