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Sunday, January 31, 2021

Weather Briefing for Sunday, January 31, 2021



OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

A moist cold front will bring precipitation to the area, mainly this morning. As colder air spills in behind the front on northwest winds, snow showers are expected to develop across the mountains tonight into Monday before ending Tuesday. A gradual warming trend is expected to begin during mid-week before another cold front approaches from the west by the weekend.


News Highlights



• Lowering of NC Flags to Half-Staff Until Sunset January 30, 2021 in Honor of Chairman Freddie L. Carter Jr. of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc. [LINK]

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

• Keith Gill Drove the GameStop Reddit Mania. He Talked to the Journal. Trader known as DeepF—ingValue on the WallStreetBets forum helped turn the investing world upside down. “I didn’t expect this.” [CNET]

• GameStop short squeeze (this Wikipedia article is a good explainer article with lots of links to where you can find out even more information about what has happened and why this is happening [CNBC]





---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---


General forecast through Tuesday Night


Franklin area

Today

Rain before 3pm, then a slight chance of showers after 5pm. Patchy fog before 11am. Highs in the lower 50s. Light and variable winds. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of rain showers before 3am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around freezing32. Calm winds increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph before midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 4pm, then a chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-30s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Monday Night

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-20s. WInds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 20.

Highlands area

Today

Rain or freezing rain before 3pm, then a slight chance of rain after 5pm. Areas of fog. Highs in the lower 40s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the morning shifting to come out of the west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of rain and snow showers before 1am, then a chance of snow showers after 2am. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the west 5 to 15 mph shifting to come out of the northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Monday

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 30. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Monday Night

A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 20. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, with highs near freezing.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with low around 20.

Otto area

Today

Rain before 3pm, then a slight chance of showers after 5pm. Patchy fog before noon. Highs near 501. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of showers before 1am, then a chance of showers after 2am. Patchy fog in the morning. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Calm winds increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 7am, then a chance of snow showers between 7am and 1pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-to-upper 30s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Monday Night

A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, with highs near 40.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the lower 20s.

Nantahala area

Today

Rain, mainly before 9am, then a slight chance of showers after 2pm. Patchy fog before noon. Highs near 50. WInds out of the south around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tonight

A chance of rain showers before 2am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Monday

Snow showers likely, mainly after 3pm. Cloudy, with highs near freezing. Winds out of the northwest t to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Monday Night

A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-20s. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday

A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-30s.

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 20.



HAZARDS

For this morning, brief periods of wintry weather, mainly sleet or freezing rain. Isolated very light accumulations will be possible on elevated surfaces such a bridges or overpasses until temperaturees rise above freezing later this morning.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
433 AM EST Sun Jan 31 2021

...WINTER STORM EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND RABUN COUNTY THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

...WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY FOR PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS...

.A storm system will push through the region today. This combined with cold temperatures will bring a wintry mix of accumulating snow, sleet, and freezing rain to portions of North Carolina and far northeast Georgia. Almost all areas will change to rain by midday Sunday.

The upper low associated with this system will bring the potential for periods of heavy snow to the North Carolina mountains, focused near the Tennessee border late tonight through early Tuesday.

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations of up to 3 inches and ice accumulations of around one tenth of an inch.

* WHERE...Portions of piedmont and western North Carolina.

* WHEN...Until 4 PM EST this afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow, sleet, and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible. Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep a flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Prepare for possible power outages.

Please report snow and ice accumulations by calling the National Weather Service toll free at...1...800...2 6 7...8 1 0 1. Leave a message with your observation and the specific location where it occurred. You can also post your report to National Weather Service Greenville Spartanburg Facebook or tweet your report using hashtag nwsgsp.

Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your favorite source of weather information for the latest updates. Additional details can be found at www.weather.gov/gsp. The latest state road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]



COVID-19 in Macon County

Vaccine Appointments Being Rescheduled Due to Limited Supply

Due to inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccine from NC DHHS, Macon County Public Health must reschedule first dose appointments. Those who have already scheduled appointments for their first dose of vaccine have been moved to the front of Macon County Public Health's COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List. Macon County Public Health will contact those on the waitlist as vaccine becomes available to reschedule your appointment. There are approximately 3,000 individuals on the Macon County Vaccine Wait List.

Macon County will be receiving 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state each week for the next three weeks. This number is based on population size in Macon County. We appreciate your patience in this unprecedented time. For questions, you can call 828-524-1500, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Regardless of which group you fall under, you can register for the COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List at https://gis2.maconnc.org/VAX/VAX.html. When the group you fall under is eligible for vaccination, a member of the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center will contact you to schedule your appointment.

NCDHHS updates its website to reflect the current group eligible for vaccine. You can view the site at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations. Macon County Public Health will update its social media pages to alert the public when the state and county advance to the next group of vaccination. At this time, Macon County Public Health and NCDHHS are not scheduling individuals for vaccination in groups other than Groups 1 and 2.

At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (January 28th)

Franklin High School-2


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.


VACCINE DELIVERY
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published, or offsite vaccine clinics that may not be reported until the day after)

Category Mon 01-25 Tue 01-26 Wed 01-27 Thu 01-28 Fri 01-29 Average
Vaccines Given 100 95 92 90 60 87.4
Current Inventory 120 230 140 50 0 108
Total Vaccines Given 2178 2273 2365 2455 2515 Not Applicable


Cases

2668 Detected
(+36 from Thursday and +169 from last Friday)

522 Active
(+9 from Thursday and -12 last Friday)

2128 Recovered
(+27 from Thursday and +181 last Friday)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Thursday and unchanged from last Friday)


Testing

8741 by MCPH
+57 from Thursday and +261 from last Friday)

6998 by Others
(+31 from Thursday and +318 from last Friday)

15739 total
(+88 from Thursday and +579 from last Friday)

221 tests pending results
(-19 from Thursday and -59 from last Friday)









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 5:120am on Sunday, January 31, 2021

/>


Saturday, January 30, 2021

Weather Briefing for Saturday, January 30, 2021



OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Canadian high pressure will continue the dry and cold conditions for our region through Saturday. A moist cold front and associated precipitation arrives from the west Saturday night into Sunday, with some wintry precipitation possible once again mainly along and north of Interstate 40. Cold high pressure builds in by Tuesday and continues through Wednesday before another cold front approaches from the west on Thursday.


News Highlights



• Lowering of NC Flags to Half-Staff Until Sunset January 30, 2021 in Honor of Chairman Freddie L. Carter Jr. of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc. [LINK]

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

• Keith Gill Drove the GameStop Reddit Mania. He Talked to the Journal. Trader known as DeepF—ingValue on the WallStreetBets forum helped turn the investing world upside down. “I didn’t expect this.” [CNET]

• GameStop short squeeze (this Wikipedia article is a good explainer article with lots of links to where you can find out even more information about what has happened and why this is happening [CNBC]





---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---


General forecast through Monday Night


Franklin area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A chance of rain, snow, and sleet before 10pm, then a chance of sleet between 10pm and midnight, then rain after midnight. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow and sleet accumulation expected.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph becoming calm by midmorning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-20s.

Highlands area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A chance of snow and sleet before 1am, then sleet between 1am and 5am, then freezing rain and sleet after 5am. Patchy fog after 2am. lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. New snow and sleet accumulation of around an inch possible.

Sunday

Rain or freezing rain, becoming all rain after 7am. Areas of fog before 7am. High in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10mph in the morning shifting to come out of the southwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no ice accumulation expected.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 2am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A slight chance of snow showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between noon and 3pm, then a slight chance of snow showers after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s.

Otto area

Today

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A chance of rain, snow, and sleet before midnight, then rain. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 1pm. Areas of fog before 7am. Highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm by midmorning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain before 10pm, then a chance of showers after 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday

A chance of rain and snow showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 40. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-to-upper 20s.

Nantahala area

Today

A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Rain, mainly after 1am. Patchy fog after 2am. Lows around freezing. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before noon. Highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph decreasing to light winds out of the southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Sunday Night

Rain showers likely before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday

Rain and snow showers likely before 8am, then a chance of snow showers between 8am and noon, then a chance of rain and snow showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a lows in the mid-20s.



HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today.

A wintry mix of snow, sleet, and rain may develop tonight. Some locations could see an inch or two of snnow and/or some ice accumulation. Road conditions could become ery hazardous, so try not to be on the roads overnight tonight and early tomorrow morning. The precipitation will most likely change over to rain Sunday morning. As colder air filters back into the area Sunday night, snow showers are expected to develop across the mountains and continue into Monday and Monday night. Additional snow accumulations will be possible during this time, especially in the high elevations along the Tennessee border.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]



COVID-19 in Macon County

Vaccine Appointments Being Rescheduled Due to Limited Supply

Due to inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccine from NC DHHS, Macon County Public Health must reschedule first dose appointments. Those who have already scheduled appointments for their first dose of vaccine have been moved to the front of Macon County Public Health's COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List. Macon County Public Health will contact those on the waitlist as vaccine becomes available to reschedule your appointment. There are approximately 3,000 individuals on the Macon County Vaccine Wait List.

Macon County will be receiving 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state each week for the next three weeks. This number is based on population size in Macon County. We appreciate your patience in this unprecedented time. For questions, you can call 828-524-1500, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Regardless of which group you fall under, you can register for the COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List at https://gis2.maconnc.org/VAX/VAX.html. When the group you fall under is eligible for vaccination, a member of the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center will contact you to schedule your appointment.

NCDHHS updates its website to reflect the current group eligible for vaccine. You can view the site at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations. Macon County Public Health will update its social media pages to alert the public when the state and county advance to the next group of vaccination. At this time, Macon County Public Health and NCDHHS are not scheduling individuals for vaccination in groups other than Groups 1 and 2.

At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (January 28th)

Franklin High School-2


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.


VACCINE DELIVERY
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published, or offsite vaccine clinics that may not be reported until the day after)

Category Mon 01-25 Tue 01-26 Wed 01-27 Thu 01-28 Fri 01-29 Average
Vaccines Given 100 95 92 90 60 87.4
Current Inventory 120 230 140 50 0 108
Total Vaccines Given 2178 2273 2365 2455 2515 Not Applicable


Cases

2668 Detected
(+36 from Thursday and +169 from last Friday)

522 Active
(+9 from Thursday and -12 last Friday)

2128 Recovered
(+27 from Thursday and +181 last Friday)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Thursday and unchanged from last Friday)


Testing

8741 by MCPH
+57 from Thursday and +261 from last Friday)

6998 by Others
(+31 from Thursday and +318 from last Friday)

15739 total
(+88 from Thursday and +579 from last Friday)

221 tests pending results
(-19 from Thursday and -59 from last Friday)









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 5:00am on Saturday, January 30, 2021

/>


Friday, January 29, 2021

Lowering of NC Flags to Half-Staff Until Sunset January 30, 2021 in Honor of Chairman Freddie L. Carter Jr. of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc.



Governor Roy Cooper today ordered all North Carolina flags at state facilities to be lowered to half-staff beginning today, Friday, January 29, 2021 until sunset on Saturday, January 30, 2021, in honor of sitting Chairman Freddie Lee Carter Jr. of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc. who passed away on Tuesday. A native of Sampson County, North Carolina, he served as chairman of the Coharie Intra Tribal Council since 2011 and contributed more than 20 years of service within various capacities of the Coharie Tribal Government.

Under his leadership, the Council initiated the development of the Coharie community garden, providing free and nutritious food for the community. He led the development of the Coharie Tribal Enterprise, expanding economic opportunities to the tribe. Also while serving as chairman, the Coharie Tribe was presented the "Water Conservationist of the Year" award in 2019 by Governor Roy Cooper.

As a show of respect, individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the duration of time indicated.

Please note, all North Carolina flag announcements are issued in accordance to regulations outlined in the US Flag Code.

Published at 5:10pm on Friday, Janaury 29, 2021

News and Weather Briefing for Friday, January 29, 2021



OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Canadian high pressure will return dry and cold conditions to the region through Saturday, before a moist cold front and associated precipitation arrive from the west Saturday night into Sunday, with some wintry precipitation possible once again. Cold high pressure builds in through Wednesday before another cold front approaches from the west on Thursday.


News Highlights



• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

• Robinhood: What you need to know about the app at the center of the GameStop drama [CNET]

• GameStop short squeeze (this Wikipedia article is a good explainer article with lots of links to where you can find out even more information about what has happened and why this is happening [CNBC]



---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---


General forecast through Sunday Night


Franklin area

Today

Sunny, with highss near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highss near 50. Calm winds in thge morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Highlands area

Today

Sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming light and variable before midnight.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s. Light and variable winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Sleet likely before 3am, then rain likely, then rain or freezing rain after 4am. Lows around 30. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as highs as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 2am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 30. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Otto area

Today

Sunny, with highs near 48. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds.

Saturday

A 20 percent chance of rain after 4pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the sSoutheast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Nantahala area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 6 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 20s. Light and variable winds.

Saturday

Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of thesouthwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Rain, mainly after 1am. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as highs as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. Highs near 50. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Sunday Night

A chance of rain showers before 4am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 40%.



HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order earlier this week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]

COVID-19 in the Schools (January 25th Video)



At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (January 28th)

Mountain View Intermediate School-2
Franklin High School-2
Iotla Valley Elementary School-1


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.

VACCINE DELIVERY
(The health department received its first shipment on December 30th)

Vaccines Given Thursday 90, Wednesday 92, Tuesday 95, Monday 100
Current Inventory Thursday 50, Wednesday 140, Tuesday 230, Monday 120
Total Vaccines Given Thursday 2455, Wednesday 2365, Tuesday 2273, Monday 2178
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published)





Cases

2632 Detected
(+19 from Tuesday and +1667 from last Wednesday and +1018 from four weeks ago)

527 Active
(-14 from Tuesday and -51 last Wednesday and +98 from four weeks ago)

2101 Recovered
(+33 from Tuesday and +216 last Wednesday and +914 from four weeks ago)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Tuesday and +1 from last Wednesday and +6 from four weeks ago)

Testing

8684 by MCPH
+913 from Tuesday and +322 from last Wednesday and +854 from four weeks ago)

6967 by Others
(+24 from Tuesday and +345 from last Wednesday and +1852 from four weeks ago)

15651 total
(+115 from Tuesday and +667 from last Wednesday and +2706 from four weeks ago)

240 tests pending results
(+2 from Tuesday and +71 from last Wednesday and +168 from four weeks ago)









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Published at 5:00am on Friday, January 29, 2021

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Thursday, January 28, 2021

News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, January 28, 2021



OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Wintry precipitation will linger across the mountains of western North Carolina this morning as a strong and cold upper disturbance crosses the area. Canadian high pressure will return dry, cold conditions Thursday through Saturday, before a moist cold front and associated precipitation arrives from the west Saturday night into Sunday.

DAY SPONSOR

Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Health and Fitness, home of #ResultsForEveryone. Try FHF with a FREE 3-Day Guest Pass! To claim your pass, and to learn more about Franklin Health and Fitness, visit franklinhealthandfitness.com.




News Highlights



• Nantahala School is on a two-hour delay this morning. The transportation team will evaluate the bus/commuter routes in the morning between 8:15 and 8:45. If the road conditions are good, we will proceed with just the two-hour delay. However, if the road conditions are not safe a decision will be made at that time to have a Virtual Day. 

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order yesterday afternoon, the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are inteneded to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK

• GameStop Mania Reveals Power Shift on Wall Street—and the Pros Are Reeling [WSJ

• GameStop jumps more than 130% even as hedge funds cover short bets, scrutiny of rally intensifies [CNBC

• Nasdaq CEO Suggests Halt to Trading to Allow Investors to ‘Recalibrate Their Positions’ After GameStop Surge [MEDIAITE

Older News

• PRESS RELEASE: Moderna Provides U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Supply [LINK]

• Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Unemployment Insurance (Tuesday, January 26, 2021) [LINK]

• January 2021 Macon County Board of Education Meeting [LINK]
• Macon County Public Health Has Streamlined Vaccine Registration and Appointment Scheduling [LINK]
• Representative Gillespie Appointed to House Committees [LINK]

• NC State Senator Calls Out NCDHHS For Diverting COVID-19 Vaccine for Mass Vaccination Events [LINK]

• Rumor Control: If someone tells you the CDC has changed the way they test or classify COVID-19 Cases, you can fack check them by refering to the What's New Section of the CDC website, where new updates are listed in chronological order. [LINK]

• Macon County Reports Additional Death Related to COVID-19 [LINK]

• HCA Healthcare Helps Bring Surgical and Procedure PPE Mask Manufacturing to Asheville LINK

• Video and supporting documents from the January 2021 meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners [LINK]




---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/

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General forecast through Saturday Night


Franklin area

Today

Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. 

Tonight 

Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming calm after midnight. 

Friday 

Sunny, with highs near 50. Light winds out of the northwest. Friday Night Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds. 

Saturday 

 A 20 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Partly sunny, with highs near 50. 

Saturday Night 

 Rain, mainly after 10pm. lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Highlands area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. 

 Tonight 

 Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. 

 Friday 

 Mostly sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. 

 Friday Night 

 Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Light and variable winds. Saturday Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. 

 Saturday Night 

 Snow before 1am, then rain and snow between 1am and 3am, then rain after 3am. Lows around 30. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Otto area

Today

Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. 

 Tonight 

 Mostly clear, with lows in the lower 20s. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph. 

 Friday 

 Sunny, with highs near 50. Light winds out of the north.  

Friday Night 

 Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds. 

 Saturday 

 Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Calm winds becoming south southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. 

 Saturday Night 

 Rain, mainly after 10pm. lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Nantahala area

Today

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 7am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with highs in the mid-30s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high 25 mph. Little or no snow accumulation expected. 

 Tonight Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph. 

 Friday 

Sunny, with highs near 42. Light winds out of the northwest.  

Friday Night 

 Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Calm winds. 

 Saturday A 20 percent chance of rain after 1pm. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. 

 Saturday Night 

 Rain, mainly after 10pm. Lows in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 90%.



HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not anticipated today for most locations below 3500, except perhaps in the Nantahala Community, where some snow may have fallen or overnight rain froze. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for locations above 3500 until noon today.

The following is for the Nantahala Community and locations above 3500 feet in Macon County: 

 Recent precipitation and snowmelt will combine with sub-freezing temperatures this afternoon through tonight and create patchy black ice on area roadways tomorrow morning. Black ice is hard to see and drivers are urged to use caution through the early morning hours Friday.



COVID-19 BRIEFING

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order yesterday afternoon, the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]


COVID-19 in the Schools (January 25th Video)



At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES (January 26th)

Mountain View Intermediate School-1
Franklin High School-2
East Franklin Elementary School-1
Highlands School-1
IOtla Valley School-2
Macon Middle School-3


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted. 

VACCINE DELIVERY
(The health department received its first shipment on December 30th)

Vaccines Given Wednesday 92, Tuesday 95, Monday 100
Current Inventory Wednesday 140, Tuesday 230, Monday 120
Total Vaccines Given Wednesday 2365, Tuesday 2273, Monday 2178
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published)

Cases

2613 Detected
(+36 from Tuesday and +147 from last Wednesday and +1079 from four weeks ago)

527 Active
(+8 from Tuesday and -37 last Wednesday and +159 from four weeks ago)

2068 Recovered
(+28 from Tuesday and +183 last Wednesday and +914 from four weeks ago)

18 Deaths
(unchanged from Tuesday and +1 from last Wednesday and +6 from four weeks ago)

Testing

8593 by MCPH
+23 from Tuesday and +231 from last Wednesday and +764 from four weeks ago)
6943 by Others
(+51 from Tuesday and +321 from last Wednesday and +1863 from four weeks ago)

15536 total
(+74 from Tuesday and +552 from last Wednesday and +2627 from four weeks ago)

238 tests pending results
(-48 from Tuesday and +69 from last Wednesday and +148 from four weeks ago)









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Published at 4:45am on Thursday, January 28, 2021

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Governor Extends Modified Stay at Home Order, Takes Other Actions to Assist North Carolinians as COVID-19 Metrics Begin to Stabilize

A slide from Wednesday's briefing showing the trend of hospitalizations in North Carolina due to COVID-19 

 Governor Cooper has extended the Modified Stay at Home Order, the evictions moratorium, and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic.

 English and Spanish videos of the entire press briefing are posted below, as well as a copy of the press release, which includes links to copies of the slides and the Executive Orders 189, 190, and 191, as well FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to help people understand the Executive Order because they are written in bureaucratese (government-speak) and not plain language. 


  English


Spanish

 Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen today announced that North Carolina’s Modified Stay At Home Order, requiring people to be at home from 10 pm – 5 am, will be extended. Face covering requirements and restrictions on individuals gathering in both indoor and outdoor settings are still in place. Executive Order No. 189 will be in effect through at least Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. 

The extension of Executive Order No. 190 allowing for the sale of “to-go” or delivery of mixed beverages will continue to help businesses that are struggling right now. The extension of Executive Order No. 191 will help families have the ability to stay in their homes, a critical component of slowing the spread of the virus. 

The Executive Orders for “to-go” or delivery sales of mixed beverages and the evictions moratorium both received concurrence from the Council of State.

“With more than 3,300 people in the hospital, and the percent of positive tests in double digits, we know this virus is still spreading,” said Governor Cooper. “And with at least one new contagious variant of COVID-19 in our state, we still have work to do.  We cannot let our guard down, especially in these cold winter months.”

In addition to the Modified Stay at Home Order, the DHHS secretarial directive remains in effect. People should stay home and only leave for essential purposes such as buying food, accessing health care, and going to school or work.

“The 3 Ws are as essential as they have always been,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. “Remember people can have COVID-19 and not know it. The best way to protect those around you is to act as if you do have the virus and could be contagious. That means always wearing a mask – over your mouth and nose, always waiting apart from others, and always washing your hands frequently.” 

North Carolina continues to administer Covid-19 vaccines across the state. As of today, 99.8% of all first doses received by the state were reported as being administered and 859,695 total doses have been administered. Vaccine supply continues to be very low and the state is hopeful for more vaccine to be on the way. On a call with Governor Cooper and other governors yesterday, the Biden Administration committed to increase vaccine shipments to the states by 16% over the next 3 weeks. 

On Tuesday, NCDHHS expanded its vaccine data dashboard to provide information about vaccine doses allocated to and received by the state and updated guidance to ensure equitable distribution and speed of administration.

North Carolinians can find out when they will be eligible to get their vaccine through a new online tool, Find My Vaccine Group. The screener walks users through a series of questions to determine which vaccine group they fall in. Learn more about North Carolina’s vaccine rollout at YourSpotYourShot.nc.gov.

On January 23, NCDHHS reported the first identified case of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 Variant in North Carolina. Early data suggest that this variant may be more contagious than other variants and state health officials continue to recommend staying at home when possible and practicing the 3 “W’s:” Wear a face covering, Wait 6 feet apart and Wash your hands. 

Dr. Cohen provided an update on North Carolina’s data and trends.

Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s syndromic surveillance trend for COVID-like illness is decreasing, but high.

Trajectory of Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory of cases is stabilizing, but high.

Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory in percent of tests returning positive is leveling, but high.

Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory of hospitalizations is leveling, but high.

In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread in testing, tracing and prevention.

Testing

  • Testing capacity remains high.

Tracing Capability

  • There have been more than 666,000 downloads of the exposure notification app, SlowCOVIDNC.

Personal Protective Equipment

  • North Carolina’s personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies are stable.

Read Executive Order No. 189 and the FAQs.

Read Executive Order No. 190 and the FAQs.

Read Executive Order No. 191 and the FAQs.

View the slides from today’s briefing.