ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]
• Dangerous heat continues to build through the week and into the Independence Day Holiday Weekend, with heat indices likely reaching or exceeding 100 degrees across most of the lower elevations in Macon County. Isolated strong to severe storms possible today. Daily thunderstorms will also be possible through the weekend.
• The heat threat begins to wane late weekend and into early next week with a return to a more traditional mid summer pattern featuring seasonable temperatures and daily storm chances. ↑ Back to Top
SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
This half price sale is for those who sign up during July and remains effect for the rest of the year. Current sponsors receive the half price discount automatically.
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 this morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. East winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.TONIGHT....Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then mostly clear after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.FRIDAY....Sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 80s. East winds around 5 mph.
.FRIDAY NIGHT....Mostly cloudy in the evening, then clearing. Lows in the upper 60s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
.INDEPENDENCE DAY....Mostly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s. Northeast winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 30 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s.
.SUNDAY....Mostly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.SUNDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
1. Heat risk will steadily increase through the week, with heat indices in the mid 90 degrees across much of the lower elevations through the Independence Day Holiday Weekend. Daily thunderstorms will also be possible across the mountains. Stay indoors as much as you can, or take frequent breaks indoors to rehydrate.
2. The heat threat begins to wane late weekend and into early next week with a return to a more traditional mid summer pattern featuring seasonable temperatures and daily storm chances.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.8 out of 12) today with Plantain and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (3.1 out of 12.0).
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
Benefit for Randy Drinnon
July 25th at 5pm
Learn more on Facebook
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
7-4-2026—It’s Dudes Day on the Fourth! Come have a great get-together with friends old and new as 4 Singer/Songwriters “sing us some songs and tell us some tales”.
7-11-2026—Join us for Bluegrass fun….as Tommy Nelson and the Burningtown Bluegrass Gospel Band bring us their pickin’ and grinnin’ songs.
7-18-26—Two Troubadours...George James and Gary Gibson.
7-25-2026---Bill Petersen will be singing the blues along with maybe some originals. Then, up from Florida, hear John Bois and the Emotional Support Band.
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 99°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2012
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2008
Greatest Rainfall 3.00 inches in Franklin in 2003
Record weather events for July in Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on Jul 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of July
Highest Temperature 109°F Albemarle, Stanly County Jul 28, 1940
Lowest Temperature 32°F Celo, Yancey County Jul 10, 1961
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.15 in Highlands, Macon County Jul 29, 1879
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WNC News
Economic worry after Quartz Corp closure | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)
• Mission Health Launches 50 Techs in 50 Days Hiring Campaign (article focuses on Macon County) [Macon Media]
• Jamie Ager signs onto centrist Democrat pledge 'Promise to America' [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Searching for the Black Hole [Smoky Mountain News]
• Victory in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District will be decided in counties that look very different from Buncombe (article focuses on Macon County) [Asheville Watchdog]
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NC News
Diaper math: Calculating the costs, and savings, if North Carolina cancels taxes on diapers | WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)
• GOP-authored NC budget proposal faces final round of voting [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• NC House and Senate vote for budget, with support and dissent from both parties [Raleigh News & Observer]
• NC budget sets $22M aside for new PFAS study, but moves to keep its results confidential [NC Newsline]
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National News
2 climb to top of Empire State Building: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - July 1, 2026 | ABC News
• CONTINUING COVERAGE: Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening [New York Post]
• Judges strike down Trump administration student loan forgiveness overhaul [The Hill]
• Crypto, real estate, watches: How Trump made over $1 billion last year [AP News]
Trump delivers remarks at opening of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library | NBC News
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World News
How the CIA covertly shaped our modern world | The Global Story | BBC News
• How cryptocurrencies are changing global politics [DW News]
• Poland gets 'green light' for permanent US troops, Polish official says [TVP World (Warsaw, Poland)]
• What to know about the schism by traditionalist Catholics who defied Pope Leo XIV [AP News]
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Iran War News
Russia launches deadly missile and drone attack on Kyiv | France 24
• Iran Update Special Report, June 30, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Tehran says Hormuz is its ‘greatest instrument of power’ [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US agreed to Hezbollah presence in Lebanon, Iran's Ghalibaf says as talks continue in Doha [Jerusalem Post]
Five ways the US could invade Iran | Caspian Report
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Russo-Ukraine War
Moscow space center struck: Can Ukraine knock out Russia’s satellites? | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 30, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russia's Putin promises security as Ukraine ramps up attacks [DW News]
• What Putin's admission about fuel crisis means for Russia [DW News]
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Financial News
Kevin Warsh to Speak at Sintra, ECB Warns Inflation Shock Not Over | Daybreak Europe 7/1/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Trump Reports at Least $1.2 Billion in 2025 Crypto Earnings [Yahoo Finance]
• Europe’s defense boom faces a new test: Can it actually deliver weapons? [CNBC]
‘REPEAT OF COVID’: Economist warns PRICE SHOCKS are coming | Fox Business
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Science News
How the Earthrise Photo Shattered a Thousand-Year Illusion | Anton Petrov
• ESA Outlines High-Tech Lander Instruments for 2050 Enceladus [Universe Today]
• Scientists discover a surprising link between vitamin C and brain health [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, June 26 – July 5 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
The Level1 Links with Friends Show July 1: TikSlop
• Amazon blames piracy apps with malware for killing new Fire Stick sideloading [Ars Technica]
• Claude Fable 5 Will Be Back Online Wednesday, Anthropic Says [Gizmodo]
• Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 06/29/2026 [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
The lifted beach of Galfa, Trinidad: Giant landslide or mud volcano? | TheGeoModels
How the Earthrise Photo Shattered a Thousand-Year Illusion | Anton Petrov
The biggest bomb ever dropped - The Bomb Podcast: Kennedy & Khrushchev | BBC World Service
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CRYPTO NEWS
Bitcoin Falls Below the 200 Week Moving Average | Benjamin Cowen
• The Future Cyberpunk Imagined Is Here: How Much Did It Get Right? [Decrypt]
• Bullish Bitcoin RSI divergence has analysts calling for 2022-style bear market bottom [Coin Telegraph]
• Trump Holds Up CBDC Ban Through 2030 as He Demands a Voter-ID Law [Bitcoin.com]
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HISTORY AND CULTURE
Why Sudan Split in Two - Sudan’s 22-Year Civil War Explained | Kings and Generals
Why the Mongols Vanished After Conquering Everything | Animated History
The Fall of Burgundy & the Rise of the Habsburgs — The Burgundian Wars 1474-77 | SandRhoman History
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• Become a Patron: patreon.com/MaconMedia
• PayPal: paypal.me/MaconMedia
Published at 6:00am on Thursday, July 02, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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