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Friday, December 1, 2023

News and Weather Briefing for Friday, December 01, 2023





Here is the news and weather briefing for Macon County.

GENERAL OUTLOOK

Moisture will return from the west beginning early today, with off and on rain chances through the weekend as low pressure systems move across the Eastern states. Drier conditions will return early next week as cool high pressure builds into the region.



---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, we’ll help you with your next project.





DAY SPONSOR


Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Office Supply. Visit their store at 161 Highlands Road in Franklin or check out their website.



---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------






Local Weather

General Forecast Through Sunday Night





Franklin Area

Today

Showers, mainly before 2pm. Patchy fog expected in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the south 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly after 4am. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs near 60. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday Night

Showers, mainly before 4am. Lows in the mid 50s. Winds out of the south around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 80%.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Cloudy, with highs in the lower 60s.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40.


`Highlands Plateau

Today

Showers, mainly before 4pm. Patchy fog after 8am. Highs near 48. Winds out of the south 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly after 2am. Widespread fog, mainly after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers. The rain could be heavy at times. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the west 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the southeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 52. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Chance of rain is 80%.

Sunday

A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid 50s.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40.


Otto and South Central Macon County

Today

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 3pm, then a chance of showers. Patchy fog after 10am. Highs in the lower 50s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly after 9pm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs near 60. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows in the mid 50s. Winds out of the south around 5 mph becoming light and variable. Chance of rain is 80%.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 60s.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40.


Nantahala Area

Today

Showers, mainly before 4pm. Patchy fog between noon and 4pm. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight

Showers likely, mainly after 5am. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday

Showers. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs in the upper 50s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows in the mid 50s. Winds out of the southwest 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 80%.

Sunday

A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the upper 50s.

Sunday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows around 40.


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Hazards

Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.





Record Weather Events for December 1st

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2021)

Highest Temperature 73°F in Franklin in 1962
Lowest Temperature 6°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 2.00 inches in Franklin in 1878
Greatest Snowfall 3.0 inches in Highlands in 1918

Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of December Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on 12-31-1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on 12-30-1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.25 inches in Highlands on 12-28-2018
Greatest Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on 12-21-1876

Record Weather Events for December 1st in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 82°F in Chapel Hill, Orange County in 1946
Lowest Temperature -5°F in Banner Elk, Avery County in 1929
Greatest Rainfall 5.65 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County in 1996
Greatest Snowfall 14.0 inches in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1974 />
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of December Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 87°F in Edenton, Chowan County on 12-03-1922
Lowest Temperature -21°F in Banner Elk, Avery County on 12-30-1917
Greatest Rainfall 7.80 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 12-29-2018
Greatest Snowfall 25.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 12-09-2017




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News Briefing
---STATE AND LOCAL---

Gov. Cooper appoints Jessica Holmes as new State Auditor following Beth Wood's resignation | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)



• Agenda for the December 2023 Meeting of the Franklin Town Council [Macon Media]

• Fire officials: Please don’t burn those leaves yet [Sylva Herald and Ruralite]

• As drought conditions linger, mountain fire officials urge residents not to burn debris [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• In win for Cooper and Democrats, NC judges block GOP-backed elections law ahead of 2024 [WRAL-Tv (Raleigh, NC) ]

• Dozens of new laws in North Carolina start Dec. 1. Here’s what they do [Raleigh News and Observer]

• On the Edge: Diaper need skyrockets in Western North Carolina [BPR]

---NATIONAL---

George Santos refuses to step down ahead of third expulsion vote | Fox News



New York appeals court reinstates Trump gag order in civil fraud trial | MSNBC



• Henry A. Kissinger, 1923-2023 [WSJ (video/audio)] [WSJ (text archive)]

• US funding for Ukraine arms has poured into Pennsylvania, Arizona and Texas [Reuters]

• US crude production in September rose to monthly record - EIA [https://archive.is/3GS1I]

• How Dr Anthony Fauci delivers 'inconvenient truths' to world leaders [BBC News]

• Meta says it broke up Chinese influence operation looking to exploit U.S. political divisions [NBC News]

• Ex-Marine pleads guilty to federal charges in Planned Parenthood clinic firebombing [ABC News]

• Proud Boy Jan. 6 defendant who shot at law enforcement is sentenced to prison [NBC News]

• DeSantis and Newsom debate: A showdown between alternative visions of America [BBC News]

International News Headlines

Live (at 2am Eastern): Opening session of the World Climate Action Summit | DW News



OSCE ministerial meeting opens with fury over Russian FM's participation | Al Jazeera



• OPEC+ members agree to significant voluntary oil production cuts [CNN]

• China–Taiwan Weekly Update, November 30, 2023 [Institute for the Understanding of War]

• Taiwan inks NT$17.2 billion fighter jet missile deal with US [Taiwan News]

• S. Korea imposes sanctions on 11 N. Korean individuals after spy satellite launch [Yonhap News Agency]

• Uganda: 17 people died of anthrax in November [Africa News]

• Paraguay official ousted amid deal with non-existent country [DW News]

• Climate crisis: The 1.5C threshold explained [BBC News]

• Why Can’t Mexico Stop the Killing of Journalists? [Columbia Journalism Review]

• Five journalists were shot in one day in Mexico, officials confirm [AP News]

Washington Today (11-28-23): Fmr First Lady Rosalynn Carter remembered for 'unshakeable strength" | C-SPAN Radio



Advancing Digital Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure: The Role of the Private Sector | Center for Strategic & International Studies



Global National: Nov. 29, 2023 | US alleges plot to kill Sikh activist in NY tied to BC murder



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Nov. 29, 2023


Nightly News Full Broadcast - Nov. 29 | NBC News


PBS NewsHour full episode, (November 29, 2023)



---COVID--- New cases of COVID variant BA.2.86 triple in 2 weeks, CDC says | CBS News



• XBB.1.5 monovalent mRNA vaccine booster elicits robust neutralizing antibodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants [bioRxiv]

• Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccines in a rural low-resource setting: a cluster-randomized trial [naure medicine]

• Why You Are More Likely to Get Sick This Winter, in Charts [Wall Street Journal]

• TWiV 1062: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]

• TWiV 1063: Childhood paralysis with Kevin Messacar [Microbe TV]

Science and Technology WATCH: Tesla's CyberTruck Delivery Event | CNET Highlights



• The Sky This Week from November 24 to December 1: Celebrate November’s Full Beaver Moon [Astronomy Magazine]

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 24 - December 03 [Sky and Telescope Magazine]

The Internet is Worse Than Ever – Now What? | Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell



New Species of Desert-Running Dinosaur Discovered | 7 Days of Science | Ben G Thomas



• Elon Musk claims advertisers are trying to ‘blackmail’ him, says ‘Go f--- yourself’ [CNBC]

• A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy? [nature]

• Weather experts in Midwest say climate change reporting brings burnout and threats [NPR]

• Admin of $19M marketplace that sold social security numbers gets 8 years in jail [The Register]

• Judge blocks Montana's TikTok ban [NBC News]

• 1.1 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. Over a week later, the source remains a mystery. [CBS News]

• Meta Joins Google In Turning Its Back On The Open Web, And Embracing Unconstitutional Mandates That Pretend To ‘Protect The Children’ [techdirt]

---SCIENCE VIDEOS--- OpenAI at a crossroads: Can AI threaten humanity? | The Take | Al Jazeera English



The Level1 Show December 1 2023: Bat Voyeur Makes Lengthy Discovery | Level1 Techs



Bigger Spool of Thread? - DTNS 4655 | Daily Tech News Show



'Like Nothing We've Seen Before' Psyche the Metal World Featuring Jim Bell | Event Horizon with John Michael Godier



Do We Still Have Ape Brains? | History of Mankind



Inkscape, LTS Kernels, EndeavourOS, Firefox 120, Steam Sale & more Linux news | This Week in Linux #243



How the Soviets Won Chess | Asianometry



Youtube and Google's anti Adblock moves, Plasma 6, GNOME & COSMIC updates: Linux & Open Source News | The Linux Experiment



How Inertial Navigation Changed Air, Sea & Space Travel for Ever? | Curious Droid



The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill (Free with Ads) | YouTube Movies & TV



Moon rush: the launch of a lunar economy | FT Film



The Coming Psychological Black Death | WhatIfAltHist



Special Section: The Hamas-Israel War of 2023

• Iran Updates (Refocused on the Israel-Hamas War), November 30, 2023 [Institute for the Understanding of War]

• Israel-Hamas War Day 56: Ceasefire ended, region returns to war [Jerusalem Post]

• Israel-Hamas war live: Israel resumes Gaza bombing after truce expires [Al Jazeera]

Live Webcam: Gaza Ceasefire Expires, IDF Reports Rocket Attack | Israel Hamas War | CRUX



Israel and Hamas truce expires, fighting resumes | CBC News: The National



• Israel Plans to Kill Hamas Leaders Around the World After War [Wall Street Journal]

• Israel-Hamas War Day 56 | Week-long Gaza Cease-fire Ends; Israel: Hamas Violated Agreement, 'We Are Back in War' [Jerusalem Post]

• Fatalities after gunmen open fire in Jerusalem [DW News]

• Israeli air strikes pound Gaza as truce with Hamas ends [Al Jazeera]

• Hamas claims responsibility for Jerusalem shooting that killed three [Al Arabiya News]

• Hamas gunmen kill three Israelis at Jerusalem bus stop (VIDEO) [Russia Today]

ukraine • Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 30, 2023 [Institute for the Understanding of War]

• Russo-Ukrainian war, day 645: Ukraine confirms downing of Russian aircraft with US-supplied Patriot air defense system [Euromaidan Press]

Russia extends Wall Street Journal reporter's detention | Fox News



20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | FRONTLINE and The Associated Press



Finland - Russia border crisis. Kremlin hybrid operation explained | Rock Rachon | TVP World



The secret behind Ukraine's longest claimed sniper shot in history | Forces News



• Project “Black Box”: How Ukrainians unknowingly crowdfunded deadly new drone fleet [Euromaidan Press]

• Russia to require foreigners to sign ‘loyalty agreement’ [Al Jazeera]

• A Russian’s dramatic fight for his life [TVP World: Military Mind]

• Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy visits eastern front line [DW News]

• Ukraine: Russian general 'blown up on mine' [BBC News]

• Blinken says US, NATO allies 'must and will' continue support for Ukraine [France 24]

Pro-Russian News Sources

Col Macgregor: The Russians Are Finding Women Dead On The Battlefield | Douglas Macgregor Straight Calls



• Russia seizes the initiative: Has the Ukraine conflict entered its endgame? [Russia Today]

• Where did US strategists go wrong when they started proxy war with Russia? [Pravda]

• World Bank grants $1.2 bln loan to Ukraine [TASS]

----------UKRAINE VIDEOS------------ 🔴 (discretion) Ceasefire in Gaza, Russia Gains Ground | Combat Footage Show



Ukraine War Upd. EXTRA (20231130): Ru Opinions on War, Bronk on Planes, & Propagandart | ATP Geopolitics



Day 644: Ukraïnian Map | Ukraine News TV



A Brit volunteer in Ukraine: looking back on seven months' service | Lindybeige



Estonia To Follow Finland In Closing Border With Russia Over “Hybrid Attacks”? Poland Offers Troops | CRUX








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On This Day

December 1 is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 30 days remain until the end of the year.

Historical Events



Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)



800 – Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican.

1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris.

1577 – Francis Walsingham is knighted.

1640 – End of the Iberian Union: Portugal acclaims as King João IV of Portugal, ending 59 years of personal union of the crowns of Portugal and Spain and the end of the rule of the Philippine Dynasty.

1662 – Diarist John Evelyn records skating on the frozen lake in St James's Park, London, watched by Charles II and Queen Catherine.

1768 – The former slave ship Fredensborg sinks off Tromøya in Norway.

1821 – José Núñez de Cáceres wins the independence of the Dominican Republic from Spain and names the new territory the Republic of Spanish Haiti.

1822 – Peter I is crowned Emperor of Brazil.

1824 – United States presidential election: Since no candidate received a majority of the total electoral college votes in the election, the United States House of Representatives is given the task of deciding the winner in accordance with the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

1828 – Argentine general Juan Lavalle makes a coup against governor Manuel Dorrego, beginning the Decembrist revolution.

1834 – Slavery is abolished in the Cape Colony in accordance with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

1862 – In his State of the Union Address President Abraham Lincoln reaffirms the necessity of ending slavery as ordered ten weeks earlier in the Emancipation Proclamation.

1865 – Shaw University, the first historically black university in the southern United States, is founded in Raleigh, North Carolina.

1900 – Nicaragua sells canal rights to U.S. for $5 million. The canal agreement fails in March 1901. Great Britain rejects amended treaty

1913 – The Buenos Aires Metro, the first underground railway system in the Southern Hemisphere and in Latin America, begins operation.

1913 – Crete, having obtained self rule from Turkey after the First Balkan War, is annexed by Greece.

1913 Ford Motor Company institutes world's 1st moving assembly line for the Model T Ford

1918 – Transylvania unites with Romania, following the incorporation of Bessarabia (March 27) and Bukovina (November 28) and thus concluding the Great Union.

1918 – Iceland becomes a sovereign state, yet remains a part of the Danish kingdom.

1918 – The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) is proclaimed.

1919 – Lady Astor becomes the first female Member of Parliament (MP) to take her seat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. (She had been elected to that position on November 28.)

1924 – The National Hockey League's first United States-based franchise, the Boston Bruins, plays their first game in league play at home, at the still-extant Boston Arena indoor hockey facility.

1934 – In the Soviet Union, Politburo member Sergey Kirov is assassinated. Stalin uses the incident as a pretext to initiate the Great Purge.

1939 – World War II: A day after the beginning of the Winter War in Finland, the Cajander III Cabinet resigns and is replaced by the Ryti I Cabinet, while the Finnish Parliament move from Helsinki to Kauhajoki to escape the Soviet airstrikes.

1939 – SS-Fuhrer Himmler begins deportation of Polish Jews

1941 – World War II: Emperor Hirohito of Japan gives the final approval to initiate war against the United States.

1941 – World War II: Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York City and Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, signs Administrative Order 9, creating the Civil Air Patrol.

1952 – The New York Daily News reports the news of Christine Jorgensen, the first notable case of sex reassignment surgery.

1955 – American Civil Rights Movement: In Montgomery, Alabama, seamstress Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man and is arrested for violating the city's racial segregation laws, an incident which leads to that city's bus boycott.

1958 – The Central African Republic attains self-rule within the French Union.

1958 – The Our Lady of the Angels School fire in Chicago kills 92 children and three nuns.

1959 – Cold War: Opening date for signature of the Antarctic Treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on the continent.

1964 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his top-ranking advisers meet to discuss plans to bomb North Vietnam.

1969 – Vietnam War: The first draft lottery in the United States is held since World War II.

1971 – Cambodian Civil War: Khmer Rouge rebels intensify assaults on Cambodian government positions, forcing their retreat from Kompong Thmar and nearby Ba Ray.

1971 – Purge of Croatian Spring leaders starts in Yugoslavia at the meeting of the League of Communists at the Karađorđevo estate

1973 – Papua New Guinea gains self-governance from Australia.

1974 – TWA Flight 514, a Boeing 727, crashes northwest of Dulles International Airport, killing all 92 people on board.

1974 – Northwest Airlines Flight 6231, another Boeing 727, crashes northwest of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

1981 – Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 1308, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80, crashes in Corsica, killing all 180 people on board.

1984 – NASA conducts the Controlled Impact Demonstration, wherein an airliner is deliberately crashed in order to test technologies and gather data to help improve survivability of crashes.

1988 – World AIDS Day is proclaimed worldwide by the UN member states.

1989 – Philippine coup attempt: The right-wing military rebel Reform the Armed Forces Movement attempts to oust Philippine President Corazon Aquino in a failed bloody coup d'état.

1989 – Cold War: East Germany's parliament abolishes the constitutional provision granting the Communist Party the leading role in the state.

1990 – Channel Tunnel sections started from the United Kingdom and France meet beneath the seabed.

1991 – Cold War: Ukrainian voters overwhelmingly approve a referendum for independence from the Soviet Union.

1994 – Rapper Tupac Shakur convicted on sexual assault charge, and later sentenced to up to 4 1/2 years in prison

1997 – In the Indian state of Bihar, Ranvir Sena attacks the CPI (ML) Party Unity stronghold Lakshmanpur-Bathe, killing 63 lower caste people.

1997 – Heath High School shooting in West Paducah, Kentucky.

2000 – Vicente Fox Quesada is inaugurated as the president of Mexico, marking the first peaceful transfer of executive federal power to an opposing political party following a free and democratic election in Mexico's history.

2017 – President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the F.B.I.

2018 – The Oulu Police informed the public about the first offence of the much larger child sexual exploitation in Oulu, Finland.

2019 – Arsenal Women 11–1 Bristol City Women breaks the record for most goals scored in a FA Women's Super League match, with Vivianne Miedema involved in ten of the eleven Arsenal goals.

2019 – Earliest traceable patient, a 55-year-old man, develops symptoms of a novel coronavirus (Covid-19) in Wuhan, China

2019 – US President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden host their first state dinner at the White House for French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron


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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.



Become a Patron!



Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 5:00am on Thursday, November 30, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins


Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to rthe 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. 


Thursday, November 30, 2023

Agenda for the December 2023 Meeting of the Franklin Town Council



The Franklin Town Council will be meeting at 6pm on Monday, December 4th, in the lower level of the town hall. Due to it being the first meeting after a municipal election, the candidates who won will be sworn in and seated. Copies of the public agenda and the 70 page agenda packet have been added below in the interest of promoting transparency. A separate article will be posted for the live webcast.


Public Agenda

1. Call to Order – Town Manager Amie Owens
2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Oath of Office for Mayor and Town Council Members – Clerk of Court Shawna Lamb
A.) Jack Horton, Mayor
B.) Joe Collins, Council Member
C.) Mike Lewis, Council Member
D.) Robbie Tompa, Council Member

Mayor and Council Member comments

There will be a brief recess to allow individuals to take their place at the dais and Mayor Jack Horton will take over the meeting following the recess

4. Election of Vice Mayor – Town Council

5. Adoption of the December 4, 2023 Town Council Agenda – Town Council

6. Approval of the Consent Agenda for December 4, 2023 – Town Council
A.) Approval of November 6, 2023 Town Council Minutes
B.) Budget Amendments
C.) Response Letter to LGC from Audit Finding
D.) Surplus Equipment – Ballistic Vest
E.) Resolution of Support for Highway Improvement Funding for Acceleration Lane/On Ramp

7. Introduction and Recognition
A.) Police Officer Tyler Brand – introduction by Police Chief Devin Holland
B.) Kyle Pocquette, Water Treatment Plant ORC – B-Distribution Certification – presented by Bill Deal, Public Works Director
C.) Blake Hawkins, Water Treatment Operator – A-Surface Certification – presented by Kyle Pocquette, Water Treatment Plant ORC

8. Public Hearing
A.) Public Hearing to receive public input on a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance Section 152.034 – Conditional Zoning – Justin Setser, Town Planner

9. Public Session

10. New Business
A.) Reappointment of Town Manager, Town Attorney and Town Clerk – Mayor Jack Horton
B.) Request approval of change orders for Phillips Street and Harrison Avenue sidewalk project – Town Manager Amie Owens
C.) Adoption of the 2024 Town Council Meeting Schedule – Town Manager Amie Owens
D.) Adoption of the 2024 Town Holiday Schedule – Town Manager Amie Owens

11. Departmental Reports
A. Human Resources – Nicole Bradley, Human Resources Director/Town Clerk
B. Tax Collection/Events – Sabrina Scruggs, Tax Collector
C. Fire Department – Fire Chief Ben Ormond

12. Items from Council
A.) Social District Discussion – Town Council
B.) Annual Council Retreat Scheduling – Town Council

13. Announcements
A. Next Town Council Meeting is Tuesday, January 2, 2024
B. Christmas holidays for Town Offices – December 25, 26 & 27, 2023 (Monday – Wednesday)
C. 10th Annual Ruby Drop – Downtown – December 31, 2023 – two drops one at 9:00 p.m. and another at midnight (Sunday)
D. New Year’s holiday for Town Offices – January 1, 2024 (Monday)

14. Adjourn


Agenda Packet [Download PDF]





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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.



Become a Patron!



Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 11:00pm on Thursday, November 30, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins


News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, November 30, 2023





Here is the news and weather briefing for Macon County.

GENERAL OUTLOOK

High pressure will linger over the region leading to continued dry weather through tonight. Moisture will return from the west beginning early Friday, with off and on rain chances through the weekend as low pressure systems move across the Eastern states. Drier conditions will return early next week as high pressure builds into the region.



---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, we’ll help you with your next project.





---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------






Local Weather

General Forecast Through Friday Night





Franklin Area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers. Highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.


`Highlands Plateau

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers, mainly after 7am. Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Highs in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.


Otto and South Central Macon County

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers, mainly after 7am. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.


Nantahala Area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds increasing to come out of the east around 5 mph by midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 10pm. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Highs near 60. Chance of rain is 80%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows in the lower 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.


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Hazards

Most of the county will not experience hazardous weather conditions today, however, elevations above 3500 may experience wind chills in the single digits this morning.





Record Weather Events for November 30th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2021)

Highest Temperature 73°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1970
Lowest Temperature 7°F in Franklin in 1959
Greatest Rainfall 1.63 inches in Highlands in 2020
Greatest Snowfall 0.5 inches in Franklin in 1876

Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 83°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 11-04-2003
Lowest Temperature -3°F in Highlands on 11-25-1950
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands on 11-29-1914
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands on 11-28-1922

(the excessive rainfall was due to the remnants of Hurricane Hilda)

Record Weather Events for November 30th in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 83°F in Longwood, Brunswick County in 1985
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Banner Elk, Avery County in 1955
Greatest Rainfall 4.89 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County in 1934
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Banner Elk, Avery County in 1903 />
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 89°F in High Point, Guilford County on 11-04-1974
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County on 11-15-1969
Greatest Rainfall 9.70 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 11-19-2003
Greatest Snowfall 13.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 11-01-2014




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News Briefing
---STATE AND LOCAL---

NC Lottery Approving Applications for Sports Betting Licenses | WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)



• Why NC's most powerful Republican is endorsing a candidate for governor, but not president [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• After NC substation attack, lawmaker ‘not sure the FBI is taking this very seriously’ [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• State Board of Elections invites public input on new rules regarding election observers [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• On the Edge: Is child care headed off a cliff in Western North Carolina? [BPR]

---NATIONAL---

Henry Kissinger, statesman and scholar, dies at 100 | Washington Post



Jimmy Carter, Biden, Former First Ladies Attend Rosalynn Carter's Funeral In Atlanta, Georgia | Forbes Breaking News



• Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state who shaped decades of U.S. policy, dies at 100 [NBC News]

• Henry Kissinger, Colossus on the World Stage [Foreign Policy]

• US lost more than two local newspapers a week this year, new Medill report finds [Poynter]

• Trump legal news brief: Trump’s lawyers say he did not take an oath ‘to support the Constitution’ [Yahoo News]

• Justices skeptical that double jeopardy clause allows retrial based on inconsistent verdict of acquittal [SCOTUSblog]

International News Headlines

The rise of Xi Jinping, explained | Vox



Putin's advances in the Arctic | DW Documentary





• US says it foiled alleged plot to assassinate Sikh activist in New York [BBC News]

• Why Can’t Mexico Stop the Killing of Journalists? [Columbia Journalism Review]

• Five journalists were shot in one day in Mexico, officials confirm [AP News]



Washington Today (11-28-23): Fmr First Lady Rosalynn Carter remembered for 'unshakeable strength" | C-SPAN Radio



Advancing Digital Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure: The Role of the Private Sector | Center for Strategic & International Studies



Global National: Nov. 29, 2023 | US alleges plot to kill Sikh activist in NY tied to BC murder



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Nov. 29, 2023


Nightly News Full Broadcast - Nov. 29 | NBC News


PBS NewsHour full episode, (November 29, 2023)



---COVID--- 



• XBB.1.5 monovalent mRNA vaccine booster elicits robust neutralizing antibodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants [bioRxiv]

• Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccines in a rural low-resource setting: a cluster-randomized trial [naure medicine]

• Why You Are More Likely to Get Sick This Winter, in Charts [Wall Street Journal]

• TWiV 1062: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]

• TWiV 1063: Childhood paralysis with Kevin Messacar [Microbe TV]

Science and Technology 




• The Sky This Week from November 24 to December 1: Celebrate November’s Full Beaver Moon [Astronomy Magazine]

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 24 - December 03 [Sky and Telescope Magazine]

The Internet is Worse Than Ever – Now What? | Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell



New Species of Desert-Running Dinosaur Discovered | 7 Days of Science | Ben G Thomas



• Elon Musk claims advertisers are trying to ‘blackmail’ him, says ‘Go f--- yourself’ [CNBC]

• A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy? [nature]

• Weather experts in Midwest say climate change reporting brings burnout and threats [NPR]

• Meta Joins Google In Turning Its Back On The Open Web, And Embracing Unconstitutional Mandates That Pretend To ‘Protect The Children’ [techdirt]

---SCIENCE VIDEOS---

The Level1 Show November 29 2023: I Will Not Follow The Board's Plan, Sam-I-Am | Level1 Techs



What is Microsoft Syncing? - DTNS 4654 | Daily Tech News Show



Can We Colonize Alpha Centauri with Current Technology? | John Michael Godier





The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill (Free with Ads) | YouTube Movies & TV



Moon rush: the launch of a lunar economy | FT Film



The Coming Psychological Black Death | WhatIfAltHist






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On This Day

November 30th is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 31 days remain until the end of the year.

Historical Events



Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)



977 – Emperor Otto II lifts the siege at Paris and withdraws. His rearguard is defeated while crossing the Aisne River by Frankish forces under King Lothair III.

1707 – The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of the British to capture Pensacola, Florida.

1718 – King Charles XII of Sweden dies during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway.

1782 – American Revolutionary War: Treaty of Paris: In Paris, representatives from the United States and Great Britain sign preliminary peace articles (later formalized as the 1783 Treaty of Paris).

1786 – The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under Pietro Leopoldo I, becomes the first modern state to abolish the death penalty (later commemorated as Cities for Life Day).

1803 – The Balmis Expedition starts in Spain with the aim of vaccinating millions against smallpox in Spanish America and Philippines.

1803 – In New Orleans, Spanish representatives officially transfer the Louisiana Territory to an official from the French First Republic. Just 20 days later, France transfers the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.

1804 – The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate begins an impeachment trial of Federalist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase.

1829 – First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, five years to the day from the ground breaking.

1853 – Crimean War: Battle of Sinop: The Imperial Russian Navy under Pavel Nakhimov destroys the Ottoman fleet under Osman Pasha at Sinop, a sea port in northern Turkey.

1864 – American Civil War: The Confederate Army of Tennessee suffers heavy losses in an attack on the Union Army of the Ohio in the Battle of Franklin.

1872 – The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.

1883 – The style of western calendar, Common Era is conveyed to Joseon (Early-Modern Korean kingdom).

1900 – A German engineer patents front-wheel drive for autos.

1916 – Costa Rica signs the Buenos Aires Convention, a copyright treaty.

1934 – The LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman becomes the first steam locomotive to be authenticated as reaching 100 mph.

1936 – In London, the Crystal Palace is destroyed by fire.

1939 – World War II: Soviet forces cross the Finnish border in several places and bomb Helsinki and several other Finnish cities, starting the Winter War.

1940 – World War II: Signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1940 between the Empire of Japan and the newly formed Wang Jingwei-led Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China. This treaty was considered so unfair to China that it was compared to the Twenty-One Demands

1942 – World War II: Battle of Tassafaronga; A smaller squadron of Japanese destroyers led by Raizō Tanaka defeats a U.S. cruiser force under Carleton H. Wright.

1947 – Civil War in Mandatory Palestine begins, leading up to the creation of the state of Israel.

1953 – Edward Mutesa II, the kabaka (king) of Buganda is deposed and exiled to London by Sir Andrew Cohen, Governor of Uganda.

1954 – In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap; this is the only documented case in the Western Hemisphere of a human being hit by a rock from space.

1966 – Barbados becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

1967 – South Yemen becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

1967 – The Pakistan Peoples Party is founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who becomes its first chairman.

1967 – Pro-Soviet communists in the Philippines establish Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataan Pilipino as its new youth wing.

1971 – Iran seizes the Greater and Lesser Tunbs from the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

1972 – Vietnam War: White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler tells the press that there will be no more public announcements concerning American troop withdrawals from Vietnam because troop levels are now down to 27,000.

1981 – Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe. (The meetings end inconclusively on December 17.)

1982 – Michael Jackson's sixth solo studio album, Thriller, is released worldwide, ultimately to become the best-selling record album in history.

1994 – MS Achille Lauro catches fire off the coast of Somalia.

1995 – Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

1995 – U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Northern Ireland and speaks in favor of the "Northern Ireland peace process" to a huge rally at Belfast City Hall; he calls IRA fighters "yesterday's men".

1999 – Exxon and Mobil sign a US$73.7 billion agreement to merge, thus creating ExxonMobil, the world's largest company.

1999 – In Seattle, United States, demonstrations against a World Trade Organization meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies.

1999 – British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems merge to form BAE Systems, Europe's largest defense contractor and the fourth largest aerospace firm in the world.

2000 – NASA launches STS-97, the 101st Space Shuttle mission.

2001 – Gary Ridgway is apprehended and charged with four murders. He was eventually convicted of a total of 49 murders.

2004 – Lion Air Flight 583 overshoots the runway while landing at Adisumarmo International Airport and crashes, killing 25 people.

2005 – John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York.

2012 – An Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane belonging to Aéro-Service, crashes into houses near Maya-Maya Airport during a thunderstorm, killing at least 32 people.

2018 – A magnitude 7.1 earthquake with its epicenter only 15 miles from Anchorage, Alaska causes significant property damage but no deaths.

2021 – Barbados becomes a republic.


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Published at 5:00am on Thursday, November 30, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins


Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to rthe 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.