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. Unseasonably warm and humid conditions are expected for the remainder of the week, with shower and thunderstorm chances increasing Wednesday and remaining through Friday.
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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....Partly sunny in the morning, then becoming mostly sunny. Areas of dense fog in the morning with visibility one quarter mile or less at times. Highs in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
.TONIGHT....Mostly cloudy. Areas of dense fog after midnight with visibility one quarter mile or less at times. Lows in the mid 50s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
.WEDNESDAY....Cloudy. Areas of dense fog in the morning. A chance of rain in the morning, then showers with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning. Chance of rain 90 percent.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT....Rain with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then rain likely after midnight. Near steady temperatures around 60. South winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
.THURSDAY....Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of rain. Highs in the upper 60s.
.THURSDAY NIGHT....Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Lows in the lower 50s.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Strong and gusty winds due to mountain waves are possible through the day on Wednesday and Wednesday night for the mountains and nearby foothills.
SPACE WEATHER FORECAST
Hazardous space weather is not in the current forecast. [LINK] https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=03&month=11&year=2026
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (2.6 out of 12) today with Ragweed and Chenopods being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (2.3 out of 12.0)
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
Preparing for Winter Weather Emergencies
Join us at the Crawford Senior Center located at 108 Wayah Street, at 10 a.m. on November 24, 2026, to learn how to prepare for winter weather emergencies. Call 828-349-2058 ext. 0 for more information.
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 NOVEMBER 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 82°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2003
Lowest Temperature 7°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1954
Greatest Rainfall 3.78 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1948
Greatest Snowfall 0.5 inches in Highlands in 1999
Record weather events for November in Macon County
Highest Temperature 83°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Nov 4, 2003
Lowest Temperature -3°F in Highlands on Nov 25, 1950
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands on Nov 29, 1914
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands on Nov 28, 1922
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of November
Highest Temperature 89°F in Asheboro, Randolph County on Nov 7, 2024
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County on Nov 15, 1969
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 9.70 in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on Nov 19, 2003
Greatest Snowfall 13.0 inches in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on Nov 1, 2014
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WNC News
• Press Release: Treasured Finds Get New Life: Mountain Findings Volunteers Tour Satolah Creek Farm [The Franklin Press]
What's motivating western North Carolina voters?| WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Early Voting Totals by Party Registration in Macon County [The Franklin Press]
• North Carolina early voting tops 2.8 million ballots cast ahead of Election Day [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Biltmore raises Christmas tree in Banquet Hall: Watch [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Grants awarded for classroom equipment [The Franklin Press]
• North Carolina joins ‘overcharging’ lawsuit against Dollar General [Macon Sense]
• COVID cases rise in Western North Carolina [ Smoky Mountain News ]
• (Jackson) County to hold first hearing on data centers [ The Mountaineer ]
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NC News
NC political campaigns make final push before Election Day | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Could North Carolina help flip Congress? 4 races to watch on Election Day [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Is there a blue wave? NC GOP may not get the 11 House seats once anticipated [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Purple Primer: Your Guide to the 2026 Elections in North Carolina [NC Local]
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National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - Nov. 2, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - Nov. 2 | NBC News
Washington Today (11/2/26): 2026 Midterms: Trump’s Final Election Day Push & Senate Shakeup | C-SPAN
PBS News Hour full episode, Nov. 2, 2026 | PBS NewsHour
• Forecasts of midterm blue wave put Trump’s legacy on line [The Hill]
• Supreme Court rejects Trump administration push to set aside thousands of California ballots [AP News ]
• Oil rises after report of US strike on Iran's Qeshm Island Yahoo News]
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Learjet Crashes in Florida
A Learjet 60 Crashed in Palm beach County, Florida on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Here are some articles and video describing what happened. Some of the articles and video may contain information and audio some readers find distressing.
See Monday's special section on the crash. [LINK]
• A Learjet 60, N722BD, impacted the ground in Greenacres, Florida [Aviation Safety Network]NTSB officials give an update on deadly Florida jet crash | ABC News
Understanding the Learjet Crash in Palm Beach | Captain Steeeve
The Storm That Brought Down A Jet? | Ryan Hall Xtra
N722BD Lear 60 Loss of Control Inflight 1 Nov 2026 | blancolirio
• Texas couples, 2 young children, caregiver and pilots killed in Florida Learjet crash [CNN]
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Financial News
Market Close: Stocks Mixed, Apple Earnings Out, Jobs Data This Week • 11/2/26 | CNBC Television
Asian Stocks Fall Ahead of US Midterms | The Asia Trade 11/03/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Musk is throttling Grok because its cost is 'unsustainably high' [Yahoo Finance]
• Palantir reports booming U.S. commercial revenue growth, topping government for first time [CNBC]
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World News
Shop freezers in seven European countries hit by cyber-attack | BBC News
What the Ship (Ep 150): Global Shipbuilding Boom, Dock Strike & Chokepoint Attacks | What's Going on With Shipping?
CPJ: 'Attacks on journalists almost always precede attacks on other rights to broader population' | FRANCE 24 English
• Wave of cyber breaches exposes growing risks to S. Korea's digital economy [Yonhap News Agency]
• Live Updates: Netanyahu calls for coalition of anti-terror parties, Oct. 7 survivors warn against unity gov't [Jerusalem Post]
• European supermarkets targeted in second reported cyberattack [France 24]
• Iran war live: US carries out ‘defensive’ strikes in Strait of Hormuz [Al Jazeera]
• Russia bombs aid center and shelter in southern Ukraine, killing 26, officials say[AP News]
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Iran War News
Israel's political puzzle and what it could mean | DW News
• The Israel Netanyahu Made: Why Bibi’s National Security Vision Will Endure [Foreign Affairs]
• US warns allies to prepare for possible Iran strikes, retaliation after elections, AP sources say [AP News]
• Iran Update, October 28, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Trump says he approved Vance outreach over medical supplies [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: Netanyahu's Likud maintains lead with 91% of votes in as counting of double envelopes continues [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
Russia’s Oil Nightmare Just Returned IN FORCE | Paul Warburg
Ukraine under fire ahead of planned Abu Dhabi talks | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine by attacking its energy grid, UN-backed inquiry says [AP News]
• Putin’s Strategy Is Working: Trump Could Salvage the Kremlin’s Objectives in Ukraine [Foreign Affairs]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 28, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russia’s alleged sabotage campaign in Europe raises fears of escalation [Al Jazeera]
• Ukraine and Russia begin Oleshky ceasefire for aid mission [DW News]
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Science News
How Did We Miss This Massive Object in Our Backyard? | Anton Petrov
• Mars’ moon Phobos is destined to become a ring [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1370: Clinical Update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1371: How to Bat Away Marburg Virus [Microbe TV]
• New Research Resolves the Mystery Behind Van Gogh's The Starry Night [Universe Today]
• Even moderate drinking linked to cancer and early death, major study finds [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 30 – November 8 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
Americans Don't Want AI Data Centers Anymore. Here's Why. | Yahoo Finance
Apple and Meta's AI gamble: The end of data centres? | AI Decoded | BBC News
Most AI News Is Useless for Developers. These 3 Stories Aren’t. | Educative
• Flesh-eating screwworms spread to third state and are attacking pets [Ars Technica]
• NASA’s Begging the Commercial Space Industry to Save the Doomed Hubble Telescope [Gizmodo]
• Ex-Meta Researcher Torrented Pirated Books Dataset, Deleted It ‘Due to All This Litigation’ [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Yugoslavia 1991: How the Wars Began | Kings and Generals
Charlie Brown and the Quiet Sadness of Growing Up | DoctorW42
Why Russia Thinks It Can Attack Europe and WIN | RealLifeLore
Nuclear War Myths: Would Civilization Really End? | Isaac Arthur
Why a Russia vs Europe Nuclear War would not be so one-sided | Fraser Cain
New York City Halloween Parade 2026 🎃 53rd Annual Village Halloween Parade NYC | The NYC Walking Show
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Bitcoin: The Beauty of Mathematics (Part 74) | Benjamin Cowen
.Why AI Insiders Are Cashing Out | Coin Bureau
• Bitcoin ETF Investors Head for the Exits After Record Binance Hack [Decrypt]
• Binance net outflows surge to $5.8B as withdrawals resume after record hack [Coin Telegraph]
• This Week in Crypto Law (November 1, 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 Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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