Name of Company in 'Project Tech' Effort to Purchase the old CR Industries (Later SKF) Building Releasesd

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Press Release
Macon County EDC
June 30, 2016
9:17 am

Franklin NC - The Macon County Economic Development Commission announced today that TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. will expand operations in the Macon County Industrial Park with the purchase of the former SKF facility. The company will hire an additional 35 workers over the next five years, and invest 2.9 million dollars.



The project was made possible in part by performance-based grants from the OneNC Fund ($90,000) and Macon County ($30,000). These grants are contingent upon a combination of verified job creation and investment performance benchmarks. Appropriate claw-backs are in place if those performance benchmarks are not met.



“We are excited to have TekTone® investing in the economic future of Macon County,” said Kevin Corbin, chair of the Macon County Board of Commissioners. “We are appreciative of their commitment to providing good jobs and investment in our community. Transacting business on five continents, they are an excellent example of a local company thriving in a global economy.”



Founded in 1973, TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. opened its manufacturing facility in Franklin in 1989. TekTone® designs & manufactures wired & wireless nurse call, apartment entry, area of rescue assistance, alert integration and resident wandering systems. TekTone® healthcare communications systems are found in hospitals, retirement communities, skilled nursing, and assisted/independent living facilities around the globe. TekTone® world headquarters is in Franklin, NC—and the company’s network of first-rate distributors and representatives stretches worldwide. The privately held company employs an existing workforce of 70 locally.



“The purchase of the former SKF facility is a significant investment for us. When it became clear we were outgrowing our current facility, we made it a priority to stay in Macon County, if at all possible. We thank our employees, customers, and partners for making this a reality, and look forward to expansion and growth in the Macon County Industrial Park,” commented Carlos Mira, President of TekTone®.



Partners involved in the project include Macon County, Macon County Economic Development Commission, North Carolina Department of Commerce, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina

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**11:29 am** Governor Pat McCrory has released a press release regarding this announcement. It is posted below in full:



Expansion by TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. Will Create 35 Jobs in Macon County

Raleigh, N.C.
Jun 30, 2016

Governor Pat McCrory, North Carolina Commerce Secretary John E. Skvarla, III, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) announced today that TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. will create 35 jobs over the next five years as it expands operations in Macon County. The company plans to invest $2.9 million in its facility over that time.

“TekTone® Sound & Signal is a key global player in the nurse call system market, doing business on five continents,” said Governor McCrory. “This company’s exciting growth in Macon County provides more evidence that modern manufacturers can thrive in every corner of our state.”

Founded in 1973, TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. opened its manufacturing facility in Franklin, N.C. in 1989. TekTone® designs & manufactures wired & wireless nurse call, apartment entry, area of rescue assistance, alert integration and resident wandering systems. TekTone® healthcare communications systems are found in hospitals, retirement communities, skilled nursing, and assisted/independent living facilities around the globe. TekTone® world headquarters is in Franklin and the company’s network of first-rate distributors and representatives stretches worldwide. The privately held company employs an existing workforce of 70 locally.

“Nothing compares to the manufacturing talent, access to global markets and competitive costs that companies like TekTone® Sound & Signal find in North Carolina,” said Secretary Skvarla. “These are among the factors that have made us the Southeast’s #1 state for manufacturing jobs.”

TekTone® Sound & Signal Mfg., Inc. will add engineers, technicians, and sales representatives among other positions at its new research, development and manufacturing facility. Salaries will vary by position, but will average more than $48,118 per year. Macon County’s current annual wages average $30,794.

The global market for nurse call systems is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2022, according to a 2016 report by Grand View Research, Inc. Trends in healthcare technology, regulation and reimbursement are driving international demand for communications systems.

“The purchase of the former SKF facility is a significant investment for us. When it became clear we were outgrowing our current facility, we made it a priority to stay in Macon County, if at all possible. We thank our employees, customers, and partners for making this a reality, and look forward to expansion and growth in the Macon County Industrial Park,” commented Carlos Mira, President of TekTone®.

The project was made possible in part by a performance-based grant of up to $90,000 from the One North Carolina Fund. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. One NC grants also require and are contingent on financial matches from local governments.

“Today’s announcement is great news for Macon County and its economy,” said N.C. Senator Jim Davis. “This company has been a mainstay in our business community and we are pleased to be a part of its latest stage of growth.”

“This expansion by TekTone Sound & Signal says good things about Macon County as a destination for high-quality jobs and investment,” said N.C. Representative Roger West. “I look forward to supporting this company’s continued growth and success.”

Among the allies working with EDPNC and N.C. Commerce on TekTone® Sound & Signal’s expansion are the North Carolina General Assembly, the Macon County Board of Commissioners and the Macon County Economic Development Commission.

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Macon County Board of Education Agenda for 06-30-2016 Meeting

The Macon County Board of Education will be meeting tonight (June 30, 2016) at 6:00 pm in the central Offices at 1202 Old Murphy Road.

Macon Media will be there to record the meeting, but there will be no live streaming because I have exhausted my data plan for the month. There will be no nearly live play by play either. A video of the meeting will be uploaded and embedded in this article as soon as possible (probably Friday or Saturday).

Meanwhile, a "Mini-Agenda" of the meeting has been released by the school board and, in the interest of transparency, it is posted below.

MiniAgenda 06-30-2016 School Board

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Macon County Commissioners June 28, 2016 Meeting

The Macon County Commissioners will be meeting tonight at 6 pm in the Commissioners Boardroom in the Macon County Courthouse. Macon Media will be there, streaming live video. After the meeting is over, a recorded version of the meeting will be added here, along with any extra documentation that is handed out to the media. The short agenda and the agenda packet are posted below for your convenience.

MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

CONTINUED SESSION

JUNE 28, 2016 – 6 P.M.

AGENDA

1. Reconvene – Chairman Corbin


2. 6 p.m. – Public hearing on proposed monetary economic development
incentives to be offered


3. Consideration of proposed economic development incentives and
approval of NC One and Building Reuse grant applications – County
Attorney and Economic Development Director Tommy Jenkins


4. Security system at Senior Services – County Manager


5. Consideration of applications for fireworks displays at Nantahala and
Franklin – County Manager


6. Continued discussion of telephony project – Information Technology
Director Andy Muncey and representatives of Frontier and Mitel


7. Consideration of wellness policy – County Manager/HR Director


8. Consideration of ordinance amending the FY 2015-16 budget – Finance
Director


9. Approval of the minutes from the May 10, 2016 regular meeting and the
May 31, 2016 continued session


10. Adjourn

Commissioners 06-28-2016 Agenda Packet

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Lynn Corbin Wright Graduates from the UNC CGCIO™ Certification Program

Pictured (L-R) Lynn Wright and Shannon Tufts

PRESS RELEASE
Macon County
June 23, 2016

Chapel Hill, NC, June 17, 2016. Lynn Corbin Wright, Assistant Information Technology Director for Macon County, has successfully graduated from the 2015-2016 Certified Government Chief Information Officers Program™ at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government.

The CGCIO™ program is the first local government specific program for CIOs in the nation and began in 2005. The program is designed for local government Information Technology Directors and Chief Information Officers whose challenging responsibilities require a broad understanding of management, leadership, legal, regulatory, and enterprise topics. The course is approximately 240 hours in length and course instruction covers strategic technology planning, communication, project management, emerging trends, risk assessment and management, acquisition management, change management, leadership, security, legal issues and financial trends. The program’s director, Dr. Shannon Tufts, has been recognized by Government Technology magazine as one of the 2010 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers for the creation and expansion of this nationally acclaimed program. The program seeks to elevate the position of the dedicated  and talented cadre of public sector technology leaders who work tirelessly to serve the public good through strategic investments in technology.


Lynn Wright is one of the fifty-seven local government, state agency, community college, and K-12 IT leaders in the state of North Carolina who successfully completed the course this year. Over the course of its existence, the CGCIO™ program has graduated over 1500 public sector technology leaders across the nation.

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For more information about this program please visit the SOG website.

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Cradle of Forestry Celebrates Bug Day and National Pollinator Week

PISGAH FOREST, N.C., June 21, 2016 - The Cradle of Forestry in America invites all ages to come learn about insects and their relatives on Saturday, June 25 in honor of National Pollinator Week.

Activities and displays around the Cradle's Forest Discovery Center explore the fascinating and important world of arthropods from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Learn about monarch butterflies, their migration, and how you can help their survival. See an enclosed observation hive containing thousands of live honeybees. Learn about the fascinating lifecycle of these social insects, how honey is made, and how to get started as a beekeeper.  Meet a naturalist along the Cradle's paved trails and discover evidence among the forest's many leaves that bugs are excellent botanists.

Activities include pond explorations at 10:00 and 2:00, bug hunts at 11:30 and 3:30, and on-going buggy games and crafts. 

At 1:00 p.m. Cradle of Forestry interpreter Devin Gentry will present a program "Why Are We Letting the Grass Grow?" addressing a continuing project to convert selected lawn areas around the Cradle's Forest Discovery Center to native landscaping. This effort to sustain the interdependence between plants and pollinators, including monarchs, can be duplicated by homeowners. 

Admission to the day-time Bug Day event at the Cradle of Forestry is $5.00 for adults and free for youth under 16 years of age. Friends of the Cradle Annual Pass, America the Beautiful, Golden Age and Every Kid in a Park passes are honored. Admission includes the new film, First in Forestry: Carl Alwin Schenck and the Biltmore Forest School, hands-on exhibits, a scavenger hunt, the Adventure Zone, and historic cabins and antique equipment on two paved trails. The Cradle of Forestry is located on Hwy. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest, six miles north of Looking Glass Falls and four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 412.

For more information call 828-877-3130 or go to www.cradleofforestry.com. Informative web resources related to Bug Day and National Pollinator Week are www.pollinator.org, www.monarchwatch.org, and www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators.   

To find many on-line nature-oriented resources visit the USDA Forest Service's NatureWatch website, www.fs.fed.us/outdoors/naturewatch/.

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Policy Notice Regarding Arrest Reports

Policy Notice

Several readers have sent Macon Media messages and mugshots over the past few days, beginning on Saturday morning, regarding the arrest of a local law enforcement officer while off duty.

I appreciate the heads up, but have declined to post about the incident unless it makes it to Superior Court or if the Sheriff decides to fire the person before the case is adjudicated. This is a personnel matter, not a public matter until a trial or sentencing occurs.

Macon Media currently follows a policy of not posting about arrests of individuals unless it is for a notorious or violent crime. The only exceptions are if the arrest of public safety personnel occur while they are on duty or if the offense occurred while on duty. Any known arrest of an elected official or local county or city department head will be reported upon because these people are never off duty.

This is why there is no "Arrest Report" carried by this news outlet that names names. These people deserve their day in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion. 

This is an evolving policy and it is my belief that it is not in the public interest for media outlets to be reporting on such things. It is a thing best reserved for whispers, alleyways and tabloids like Fuzz Busted.

Bobby Coggins
Publisher and Editor
MaconMedia.com
June 20, 2016

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Keynote Address at the Moral Mountain Monday Event in Sylva, NC

Macon Media covered the Moral Mountain Monday rally that was held on Monday at Bridge Park in Sylva, NC.

A full article, including video of the whole event and video of individual speakers will be posted later this week. Until then, here is the speech given by the keynote speaker and founder of the Moral Monday series of protests in Raleigh, Rev Dr William J Barber.






IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

**note** Macon Media covers political events like this because it is in the public interest for the electorate to be exposed to all sides of an issue without it it first being filtered for time or space in a broadcast or in a newspaper. These events also need to be shared in their entirety without being filtered through the personal or organizational agendas of reporters or news outlets.

 

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Macon County Commissioners Regular June 2016 Meeting

The Macon County Board of Commissioners will be meeting tonight at 6:00 pm. Macon Media will be there and, as usual, streaming live video [click here to watch] from the meeting. After the meeting is over, the video will be processed then posted here.
 
                             RECORDED VIDEO TO BE ADDED HERE LATER

Meanwhile, here is the short form agenda and the agenda packet for those who wish to see what will be discussed at tonight's meeting.


                   MACON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
                                                 JUNE 14, 2016
                                                        AGENDA



1. Call to order and welcome by Chairman Corbin
 
2. Announcements
    A. NCACC update video
 
3. Moment of Silence
 
4. Pledge of Allegiance
 
5. Public Hearing(s) – 6:00 p.m. – Recommended Fiscal Year 2016-
17 budget
 
6. Public Comment Period
 
7. Additions to agenda
 
8. Adjustments to and approval of the agenda
 
9. Reports/Presentations
    A. Consideration of resolution regarding Increasing Per Pupil
Funding and Fully Funding Public Schools – John deVille
 
10.Old Business
     A. Capital Project Ordinance Amendment – Parker Meadows
Recreation Complex – Finance Director
     B. Capital Project Ordinance – Airport Taxiway Pavement &
Lighting Rehabilitation – Finance Director
     C. Capital Project Ordinance – Airport 2015 Non-Preliminary
Entitlement 36237.1.NPE.15 – Finance Director
     D. Capital Project Ordinance – Airport 2014 Non-Preliminary
Entitlement 36237.1.NPE.14 – Finance Director
     E. Grant Project Ordinance Amendment – Duke Energy Income
Qualified Weatherization Program – Finance Director
     F. Grant Project Ordinance Amendment – Duke Energy’s Helping
Home Fund – Finance Director
     G. Follow up on proposed economic development “Project Tech” –
County Attorney
     H. Contract with Draper Aden Associates – County Attorney
11.New Business
     A. Appointment of new Animal Cruelty Investigator
     B. Public Health fee changes – Tammy Keezer, Operations Section
Administrator, Public Health
     C. Grant request to the Evergreen Foundation – Emergency
Management Director Warren Cabe
     D. Discussion/consideration of award for hosted IP telephony
project – Information Technology Director Andy Muncey
     E. Memorandum of Understanding regarding Duke Energy’s
Helping Home Fund – Finance Director
     F. Tentative approval for Independence Day fireworks displays in
Franklin and Nantahala
     G. Consideration of Macon County Wellness Policy – County
Manager/Human Resources Director
 
12.Consent Agenda – Attachment #12
All items below are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. No
separate discussion will be held except on request of a member of the Board of
Commissioners.
     A. Minutes of the May 10, 2016 regular meeting and the May 31,
2016 continuation meeting
     B. Budget Amendments #266-#273
     C. Tax Releases – None
     D. Closure of inmate account at First Citizens Bank
 
13.Appointments
     A. Board of Health (3 seats)
     B. Region A Aging Advisory Council (3 members and 3 alternates)
 
14.Closed session (if necessary)
 
15.Recess until Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 6 p.m. in the commission
boardroom on the third floor of the Macon County Courthouse, 5
West Main Street, Franklin, NC

Agenda Packet 06-14-2016

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Structure Fire on Sunset Ridge Road

Bobby Coggins
Publisher & Editor
MaconMedia.com
June 9, 2016


FRANKLIN - Several local volunteer fire departments responded to an early morning structure fire on Sunset Ridge Road. A neighbor reported the fire shortly before 4:00 am and noted there were explosions occurring. (These turned out to be propane tanks).

Burningtown-Iotla Fire Department was the initial responding VFD and Franklin and Cowee Fire Departments provided mutual aid. Clarks Chapel Fire Department was called out to assist after the initial units arrived at the scene. The Command Post reported the fire knocked down at 4:37 am.

No one was known to be at home at the time of the fire and the Fire Marshall is investigating the origin of the fire.

VIDEO AND PHOTOS

The photos are presented in the order they were taken and some of them have been processed so firefighters and the structure can be better seen by the reader.

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Second Primary Election Day Is Today Polls Open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm Preliminary Results Added

**10:10 pm** Scroll down for the preliminary results. Macon Media and The Franklin Press were the only local new outlets present at the Board of Elections and Macon Media was the only one transmitting the results in near real time on the internet, posting results on Facebook before the state website.

Today is the second primary day in the 2016 election cycle. All regular polling locations are open and posted below for your convenience.

Only 328 of the 24,756 registered voters in Macon County availed themselves of the opportunity to vote early in this primary. Statewide projections are that only 5% of voters will participate in this second primary.

Voters will need to have Photo ID in order to vote. Learn about the acceptable forms of identification at the North Carolina Voter ID website.

There are two ballots for this election, one for Democrats and one for Libertarians, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters.

On the Democratic ballot, there is a little-reported or acknowledged primary race between Tom Hill and Rick Bryson for Congress. The winner will face Congressman Mark Meadows this fall. Democrats are the only ones voting in this Congressional primary in the 11th district since there are no challengers to the Republican incumbent.

On both the Democratic and Nonpartisan ballots, four candidates are running for Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Here they are presented in the order in which the candidates appear on the ballots: Michael R. (Mike) Morgan, Daniel Robertson, Robert H. (Bob) Edmunds and Sabra Jean Faires.





The poll workers will mark buffer zones on Election Day with "No Campaigning Past This Point" at the following polling locations:

North Franklin - Franklin Town Hall - 95 Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734

South Franklin - Macon County Public Library - 149 Siler Farm Rd. Franklin, NC 28734

East Franklin - Macon County Environmental Resource Center - 1624 Lakeside Drive, Franklin, NC 28734

Iotla - Macon County Airport - 1241 Airport Road, Franklin, NC 28734

Union - Robert C Carpenter Community Building - 1288 Georgia Road, Franklin, NC 28734

Millshoal - Holly Springs Community Building - 2720 Cat Creek Road, Franklin, NC 28734

Ellijay - Cullasaja Gorge Fire & Rescue - 104 River Road, Franklin, NC 28734

Sugarfork - Pine Grove School - 38 Peeks Creek Road, Franklin, NC 28734

Highlands - Highlands Civic Center - 600 North 4th St, Highlands, NC 28741

Flats - Scaly Mountain Fire Department - 169 Hale Ridge Rd, Scaly Mountain, NC 28775

Smithbridge - Otto Community Building - 60 Firehouse Rd, Otto, NC 28763

Cartoogechaye - West Macon Fire and Rescue - 564 Charles Nolen Road, Franklin NC 28734

Nantahala - Nantahala EMS Building - 1096 Junaluska Road, Topton NC 28781

Burningtown - Burningtown Community Building - 250 Burningtown Baptist Church Road, Franklin, NC 28714

Cowee - Cowee School - 51 Cowee School Drive, Franklin, NC 28734

UPDATES WILL BE POSTED BELOW THIS POINT 

IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

******************************

**10:10 pm**

Preliminary totals for Macon County

1,708 voted out of 24,755 voters for a 6.9% turnout.

Congressional Race

Ricky Bryson 551 -- 72.69% (Won in district wide race)

Tom Hill -- 207 -- 27.31%

NC Supreme Court 

(Top Two face each other in the General Election this fall)

Edmunds -- 946 -- 58.79% (Finished first in statewide race)

Morgan -- 457 -- 28.40% (Finished second in statewide race)

Faires -- 204 -- 12.68%

Robertson --83 -- 5.16%

Jackson County passed a quarter cent sales and use tax by a margin of 63.54% for and 36.46% against.

Results by precinct, district and state:

US HOUSE DISTRICT 11 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

MACON COUNTY BY PRECINCT

Precinct          Bryson  Hill

01 North Franklin 29       25      

02 South Franklin 20       23      

03 East Franklin  35       21   

04 Iotla          12       13   

05 Union          43       26     

06 Millshoal      16       14           

07 Ellijay        30       23             

08 Sugarfork      11       12    

09 Highlands      68       54      

10 Flats           9        8   

11 Smithbridge    36       33   

12 Cartoogechaye  32       24   

13 Nantahala       7       12    

14 Burningtown    14       19    

15 Cowee          45       27   

ABSENTEE          11       10     

EARLY VOTING     133      113   

PROVISIONAL        0        0    

TRANSFER           0        0              

NC SUPREME COURT

MACON COUNTY BY PRECINCT

Precinct          Edmunds  Morgan  Faires   Robertson

01 North Franklin 56       25      9        2

02 South Franklin 22       23      6        0

03 East Franklin  54       21     17        4

04 Iotla          32       13     10        1

05 Union          55       26     10        6

06 Millshoal      61       14      9        5

07 Ellijay        65       23      8        5

08 Sugarfork      16       12      2        3

09 Highlands      87       54     33       15

10 Flats          29        8     10        3

11 Smithbridge   100       33     10        2

12 Cartoogechaye  56       24     16        5

13 Nantahala      14       12      1        1

14 Burningtown    46       19      3        2

15 Cowee          78       27     12        7

ABSENTEE          22       10     10        5

EARLY VOTING     153      113     38       17

PROVISIONAL        0        0      0        0

TRANSFER           0        0      0        0

US HOUSE

DISTRICT PRELIMINARY TOTAL

Bryson   9636    50.75% (winner)

Hill          9351    49.25%

NC SUPREME COURT PRELIMINARY STATEWIDE RESULTS

Edmunds   234,142    48.06%

Morgan     167,221     34.32%

Faires          58,588     12.03%

Robertson  27,220       5.59%

**6:17 pm** 45  votes cast in the South Franklin precinct.


**6:09 pm** 91 votes cast in the Union precinct.

**5:54 pm** 75 votes cast in the Millshoal precinct.

**5:41 pm** 81 votes cast in the East Franklin precinct.

**5:30 pm** 80 votes cast in the North Franklin precinct.

**12:10 pm** 28 votes cast in the South Franklin precinct.

**11:53 am** 38 votes cast in the Union precinct.

**11:44 am ** 17 votes cast in the South Franklin precinct. 

**11:25 am ** 29 votes cast in the Millshoal precinct.

**10:55 am** 24 votes cast in the East Franklin precinct.

**10:25 am 19 votes cast in the North Franklin precinct.

*6:49 am** 

Here is video of the polls opening in the North Franklin precinct this morning.

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An evening walk in Franklin NC

I was out walking around trying to figure out why my Youtube Livestream at the town hall wouldn't work when this happened...

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Power Outage Rose Creek/Meadows Road Area

Power Outage Rose Creek/Meadows Road Area

A tree fell on some power lines earlier this morning near 4000 Rose Creek Road and electrical service was cut to 160 Duke Energy Customers. Restoration of power is estimated to occur by 1:00 pm today.

Burningtown Fire Department responded to a report of a tree on some power lines and smoking. 

Facebook Mirror of this post.



UPDATES

**12:28 pm** Duke reports electrical service has been restored.

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