Weather briefing for Saturday, October 3, 2020 President Trump Flown to Walter Reed Hospital

OUTLOOK

Broad Canadian high pressure will continue to spread over the area today, bringing cool and dry autumn weather. A reinforcing cold front is expected to cross the area Sunday night, followed by another cool high pressure airmass that will keep our weather fair into the middle of next week.


---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---



News Brief

The President has tested positive for COVID-19 [LINK] and has been flown to Walter Reed Hospital out of an abundance of caution. He will spend the next several days in the Presidential Suite, which has offices he and his staff can work out of while he is seconds away from medical assistance. A brief section of video and links to news stories relating to this follows.


President Trump to Walter Reed Medical Center




Coronavirus Pandemic Update 110: Trump's Risk Factors and COVID-19 Prognosis; Interferon





Trump, stricken by COVID-19, flown to military hospital [LINK]

Biden campaign pulls down attack ads as Trump departs White House for hospital [LINK]

The President Contracting COVID-19 Is A Major National Security Crisis [LINK]

Pentagon 'stands ready to defend our country' in wake of Trump's diagnosis [LINK]

Trump COVID infection thrusts world in uncharted territory [LINK]



Governor Cooper Moves North Carolina to Phase 3 With Stable Numbers 

Safety precautions set for large outdoor and some indoor venues [LINK] 

Executive Order 169 begans Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. and continues for three weeks through October 23. Its new provisions include:

•Large outdoor venues with seating greater than 10,000 may operate with 7% occupancy for spectators. •Smaller outdoor entertainment venues, like arenas or amphitheaters, may operate outdoors at 30% of outdoor capacity, or 100 guests, whichever is less.
•Movie theaters and conference centers may open indoor spaces to 30% of capacity, or 100 guests, whichever is less.
•Bars may operate outdoors at 30% of outdoor capacity, or 100 guests, whichever is less.
•Amusement parks may open at 30% occupancy, outdoor attractions only.
•The limits on mass gatherings will remain at 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors.
•The 11 pm curfew on alcohol sales for in-person consumption in locations such as restaurants and outdoor bars will be extended to October 23.

State and public health officials will continue watching the key COVID-19 trends over the next several weeks to determine if any further restrictions can be eased when the current Executive Order expires on October 23rd.


COVID-19 Cluster identified at Macon County Sheriff's Office

Macon County Public Health has identified a cluster of employees at the Macon County Sheriff’s Office who have tested positive for COVID-19. A cluster is defined as a minimum of 5 cases with illness onset or positive results within a 14-day period. All staff who have potentially been exposed to these individuals have been contacted and will be tested for COVID-19.

In addition to Macon County Sheriff’s Office staff, MCPH is working to identify any additional close contacts of these individuals. The CDC defines close contact as being within approximately 6 feet of a person with an infection with COVID-19 case for a prolonged period of time of 15 minutes or longer. Based on information provided by each staff person, county health officials will assess risks of exposure, determine which if any additional measures are needed such as temperature and symptom checks, quarantine and/or testing.

MCPH’s Medical Director and Macon County Sheriff’s Office are working together to limit the spread of COVID- 19 among staff and the community.

See the Sheriff's social media post about the situation. [LINK]



County Commissioners Select New County Attorney

After a closed meeting lasting almost an hour and a half, the Macon County Board of Commissioners returned to open session and voted 3-2 (Higdon and Gillespie voting no) to instruct Derek Roland (the county manager) to enter into negotiations with Fred Jones to replace the retiring Chester Jones as new County Attorney after October 31st. Macon Media and The Franklin Press were the only media outlets present in the boardroom. Videos are posted below. A more complete article and edited video will be published later.


Part 1 (Before the closed session)



Part 2 (After the closed session)






September 28, 2020, Macon County Board of Education Meeting




General forecast through Monday night


Today

Patchy frost before 7am. Otherwise, sunny, with highs in the 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Saturday Night Mostly clear, with lows ranging from the upper 30s in the higher elevations to thelower 40s in the lower elevations. Calm winds. Sunday Sunny, with highs in the 60s. Calm winds. Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with lows ranging from the upper 30s in the higher elevations to the lower 40s in the lower elevations. Calm winds. Monday Sunny, with highsin the 60s. Monday Night Mostly clear, with lows ranging from the upper 30s in the higher elevations to the lower 40s in the lower elevations.



HAZARDS

Areas of patchy frost are possible this morning, especially above elevations of 3500 ft.

Air Quality

Air quality is in the upper range of green for most of the county, including the ridges and other higher elevations today.

Pollen

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.8 out of 12) with ragweed, chenopods, and grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be a little higher in the low-medium range (4.3 out of 12).


Weather Extremes for Macon County for October 3rd

Highest Temperature 88°F in Franklin in 1954 Lowest Temperature 24°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1974 Greatest One-Day Rain 7.03 inches in Highlands in 1898 Greatest One-Day Snowfall (no snowfall has been recorded on this date since records began in 1872 

TROPICAL WEATHER
(The North Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1st to Nov 30th)

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Sat Oct 3 2020

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Gamma, located over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.

1. A tropical wave is producing widespread cloudiness, showers, and thunderstorms over the eastern and central Caribbean Sea, with locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds affecting portions of the ABC Islands, the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Environmental conditions are expected to become a little more conducive for development, and a tropical depression could form next week while the system moves westward or west- northwestward at about 15 mph across the central and western Caribbean Sea.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...10 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...40 percent.

2. Shower activity has increased since yesterday in association with a tropical wave located about midway between the coast of Africa and the Lesser Antilles. Some slow development of this system may occur during the next several days as it moves generally westward to west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...10 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...low...10 percent.






CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


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 3:45am Saturday, October 03, 2020