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. Warm late summer weather will continue, with shower and thunderstorm chances increasing through the weekend. The risk for impactful weather appears low until we get to early next week.
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SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
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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)
.TODAYMostly sunny. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs around 80. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
.TONIGHT....Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows around 60. Southeast winds around 5 mph.
.WEDNESDAY....Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds, becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows around 60. Southeast winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.
.THURSDAY....Mostly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
.THURSDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
.FRIDAY....Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Hot and humid conditions will continue through the rest of the work week.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be n the medium-high (9.5 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium-high range (8.7 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 JUNE/JULY 2026
11a to 1p at Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
573 E Main St, Franklin, NC 28734
contact: frog28734@gmail.com; 828-369-8488
Friends of the Greenway would like to invite you to FROG FAIR, our Fall arts & crafts show and music festival on September 19, 2026 from 10-4 at the Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters, 573 E. Main St, Franklin (at the Town bridge). We are providing an outlet for 45 area artists and crafters to showcase their wonderful items for your shopping pleasure! As a fund raiser event for FROG, we collect a vendor registration fee and sell breakfast and lunch items. Area musicians will donate their time and talent throughout the day. Mark your calendar and come enjoy the day. Hope to see you on Sept. 19.
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 92°F in Highlands in 1925
Lowest Temperature 34°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1985
Greatest Rainfall 4.00 inches in Highlands in 1903
Record weather events for September in Macon County
Highest Temperature 98°F in Franklin on Sep 4, 1975
Lowest Temperature 27°F in Franklin on Sep 30, 1967
Greatest Rainfall 11.87 inches in Highlands on Sep 29, 1964
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of September
Highest Temperature 108°F Belhaven, Beaufort County Sep 25, 1921
Lowest Temperature 23°F Marion, McDowell County Sep 28, 2000
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.04 in Elizabethtown, Bladen County Sep 30, 2018
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WNC News
Asheville gas prices near $4 per gallon | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Agriculture and farming celebrated at North Carolina Mountain State Fair [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Donald and Melania Trump to visit North Carolina for separate events [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Nonprofits band together to fill needs [The Franklin Press]
• Franklin council makes quick work of a light, upbeat agenda [The Franklin Press]
• Ager campaign fueled by 7,000 individual donations [Asheville Watchdog ]
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NC News
Your Voice Your Vote Special: Countdown to Midterm Elections | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• SCOTUS blocks Trump’s mail-in ballot plan as NC voting-access advocates rally [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• NC ranked one of the worst states for teachers in 2026 [Raleigh News & Observer]
• US Supreme Court blocks Trump rule limiting mail voting, sides with Dem states [NC Local]
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National News
Trump calls AI alarm “a hoax”: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - Sept. 14, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - Sept. 14 | NBC News
Washington Today (9/14/26): Congress Returns to Washington as AI Debate and Midterm Campaigns | C-SPAN
• Donald Trump Jr. And Wife Defend Lavish Wedding ‘Gift’ From Russian Oligarch [Forbes Magazine]
• McConnell returns to Senate to cast first vote since June [The Hill]
• Tech CEOs call for AI regulation. Trump and Congress are not rushing to act [AP News]
• US confirms for first time it has deployed space weapons Yahoo News]
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World News
W*T*H: The Seizure of Bab el-Mandeb: Why Tanker Rates Are Exploding | What's Going on With Shipping?
'AI needs a mandatory kill-switch', Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark tells BBC | BBC News
• S. Korea's Nuri rocket to carry 1st microsatellite constellation in 5th launch [Yonhap News Agency]
• Venezuela to join G20 energy talks in Texas at US invitation [France 24]
• European leaders meet as Arctic thaw opens shipping routes and Russian buildup stokes security fears [AP News]
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Iran War News
Is Trump pushing Canada to cut its trade dependence on the US? | DW News
• Iran Update, September 14, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: 54 Saudi air strikes target Houthis as Yemen fighting rages [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: Saudi Arabia turns to Western allies for assistance as fight against Houthis continues [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
Russian strike on train "terror knocking on EU's door' | France 24 English
Russian helicopter couldn't save the tanker | Military Mind | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 14, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• NATO pledges more Ukraine support after Russia strikes near Poland [Al Jazeera]
• Trump calls on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian diesel fuel, citing a global shortage [AP News]
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Financial News
Market Close: Stocks Lower, Gas Prices Rise, Mortgage Rates Near 7.2% • 9/14/26 | CNBC Television
Saudi Pipeline Stays Offline; Trump Clashes With AI Bosses | The China Show 9/9/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Stocks pop when the Trump administration invests, but the gains often fade fast [Yahoo Finance]
• Pentagon reveals $33.4 billion Iran war bill and ‘strategic’ weapons shortfalls [CNBC]
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Science News
Something Huge is Making Our Entire Galaxy Ripple | Anton Petrov
• Europe launches two Earth-observation satellites amidst a busy week for China [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1356: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1357: Furin, Naturally with Paul Bieinasz [Microbe TV]
• Don't Get Your Hopes Up for a City on the Moon [Universe Today]
• Cancer is rising in younger adults. Faster biological aging may help explain why [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, September 11 – 20 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
The Level1 Links with Friends Show September 15 2026: Flock Snitch Knishes
• For the first time, the US military confirms it has deployed weapons in orbit [Ars Technica]
• Scientists Warn This Year’s El Niño Could Create Brand New Extreme Weather Patterns [Gizmodo]
• Rightsholders Can’t Use OpenAI and Anthropic to Dismantle Meta’s Seeding Defense [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Alexander the Great - All Battles and Conquests EXPLAINED in 6 Hours | Kings and Generals
Space Habitats: The Strangest Worlds We Could Build | Astrum
Why The CIA Created Pokémon Go | Patrick Cc:
SpaceX Go All-In On Building The Biggest Spaceport In History | Fraser Cain
Why You Can't Run the Government Like a Business | The Dispatch
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Gold: Seeking a Low | Benjamin Cowen
Wall Street Is BUILDING the Dollar on CRYPTO Infrastructure | Coin Bureau
• Banks Want More: Trade Groups Demand Stricter Stablecoin Limits in Clarity Act [Decrypt]
• CLARITY Act odds fall to 16% as key Democrats resist GOP’s ‘final’ offer [Coin Telegraph]
• Coinex Is Closing After 9 Years, and Its Founder Won't Sell It [Bitcoin.com]
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Published at 6:00am on Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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