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. Relative humidity will likely drop down to around 25 percent across parts of the county again this afternoon, leading to increased fire danger in some locations.
2. Dry high pressure persists through early next week. Temperatures will fall below normal beginning Friday, then steadily return to normal through next week.
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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....Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows around 40. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds.
.FRIDAY NIGHT....Clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.
.SATURDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. East winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable.
.SATURDAY NIGHT....Clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
.SUNDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
.SUNDAY 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=22&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 (3.8 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
What to know about North Carolina's proposed constitutional amendments | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Mitchell County leaders await word on potential Sibelco plant [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Rules have changed for 2026 absentee voting in NC. See deadlines [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
Preliminary data show the spoiled absentee ballot rate rises in North Carolina | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Why is your power bill so high? What to check and where to find help [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• 470+ complaints about gas stations filed so far with NC Fuel Check. What’s next? [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. 21, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - Oct. 21 | NBC News
Washington Today (10-21-26): VP Vance: GOP should 'stop whining' about OH GOP campaign ad | C-SPAN
• Live Updates: U.S. reducing troop footprint in Middle East, sources say, as indirect talks on ceasefire proposal with Iran continue [CBS News]
• WHCA condemns removal of journalist from White House pool [The Hill]
• Meta ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook [AP News]
• Elon Musk Says He’ll Give Every Child In America One SpaceX Share Next Year Yahoo News]
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World News
50 days, one laptop, one AI feature film | BBC Radical | BBC News
How Craig Symonds Shaped Our View of Naval History | What's Going on With Shipping?
Sudan’s war escalates as UN warns of wider regional crisis | FRANCE 24 English
• S. Korea urges N. Korea to stop border escalation acts amid Pyongyang's loudspeaker threat [Yonhap News Agency]
• In run-up to mass protests and riots, pro-Russian accounts amplified French anger, NGO finds [France 24]
• APEC finance ministers warn persistent global imbalances risk growth and stability [AP News]
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Iran War News
Israelis living abroad are traveling en masse to vote. Can the government stop them? | DW News
• Iran’s Theory of Victory: Tehran’s Fight for Great-Power Status in the Post-American Middle East [Foreign Affairs]
• US orders some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia as fears of escalating Houthi attacks rise [AP News]
• Iran Update, October 21, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Trump denies Iran talks, says situation will resolve soon [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: IRGC Navy says seven vessels struck in Persian Gulf, Hormuz, one killed in attack on Saudi airport [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
Russia ready to resume Ukraine peace talks in November as US pressures Kyiv | Al Jazeera English
In search of a midterm success, Trump turns to the Kremlin | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russia agrees to resume three-way talks on Ukraine war with Kyiv and Washington, Kremlin says [AP News]
• Empires of AI: The Rise and Fall of a New Global Order [Foreign Affairs]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 21, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• What happened during Witkoff and Kushner’s latest meeting with Putin [Al Jazeera]
• Ukraine, Russia trade strikes after Witkoff talks [Yahoo News]
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Financial News
Treasury Counselor David Zervos: Energy shock, not sticky inflation, driving yields | CNBC Television
Tesla, IBM & Meta Report Earnings as AI Takes Center Stage | The Close 10/21/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Meta earnings live: Meta beats Q3 revenue expectations, announces 2-for-1 stock split [Yahoo Finance]
• China’s stock market sinks into bear territory as CSI 300 extends 10-week rout [CNBC]
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Science News
You Are Here: A Tourist's Guide to the Local Interstellar Neighborhood (episode 6) | ParallaxNick
• A Chartreuse White Dwarf Shows Some Stars Really Are Green [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
• TWiV 1366: Clinical Update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1367: Turning Off Hepatitis B Virus Without Cutting its DNA [Microbe TV]
• Neutrinos May Be The Key To Why We Are Surrounded By Matter [Universe Today]
• Massive study of 460,000 people challenges ultra-processed food cancer fears [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 16 – 25 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
Websites taken down worldwide as AI reveals critical cyber-security threat | BBC News
This Developer REMADE An Adobe Product Using AI! (Can Every App Be Open Source?) | Educative
• FCC chair warns media not to run the “fake polls” Trump keeps complaining about [Ars Technica]
• Elon Musk Claims His Terafab Will Produce Its First Chip By Mid-2027 [Gizmodo]
• Judge Orders Meta to Name Employees Who Approved Torrenting Anna’s Archive and LibGen [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
What will the Federal Reserve Do Next? | Benjamin Cowen
The $18 BILLION Threat to Strategy's Stock | Coin Bureau
• Ken Griffin Says AI Is 'Almost Certainly' in a Bubble—And Compares GPUs to Airline Seats [Decrypt]
• PHP Foundation admits ‘structural failure’ delayed critical security fix [Coin Telegraph]
• Uphold Lists Evernorth's XRPN Stock, Expanding XRP Treasury Access [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 Thursday, October 22, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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