Here is an index to assist you in moving from section to section within the article.
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Local News
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
On This Day
Support Macon Media
OUTLOOK
High pressure will control our weather through the rest of the week. A warming trend will continue until Friday, which will be an exceptionally warm day. A dry cold front will pass this weekend and drop temperatures back closer to normal. Next week looks more active with a front moving through Monday morning and another during the middle of the week.
**Weather Alert**
...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state-wide burn ban.
[Press Release]
Town of Franklin Declares a Fire Danger Emergency
Town of Franklin Declares a Fire Danger Emergency
[Press Release]
---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------
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Local and State News
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]
• Brasstown Ringers to Perform Christmas Concert Series [Macon Media]
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Saturday Night
Franklin area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds ealry increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 40. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph before noon.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40. Calm winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Calm winds.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Sunny, with highs in the lower 60s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
Clear, with lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 7 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 60. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning becoming calm in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40.
Otto area
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Light winds out of the northwest early increasing to 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 40. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 7 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Light winds out of the northwest.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light winds out of the northwest.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s.
Nantahala area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday
Sunny, with highs near 70. Calm winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Light and variable winds.
Saturday
Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 60s. Calm winds.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A dry air mass will remain entrenched across the region again today, with afternoon relative humidity values dropping to 35 to 45 percent. These dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels will make outdoor burning dangerous.
...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state wide burn ban due to the very dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels. This burn ban is expected to remain in place until significant rain occurs.
Outdoor burning is prohibited. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities for further information. [Press Release]
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
700 PM EST Tue Nov 30 2021
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.
This is the last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2022. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the lower range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the lower range of green. This is due to a fire in Arkansas that has exceeded 2,000 acres.
Fire and Smoke Map
(There is haze from the wildfires out on the west coast.)
Increased smoke haze from the Fodderstack Fire in Arkansas (2,060 acres, 60% contained) may reach the region today.
The USFS report the Ray Cove Fire has been contained as of 2:30pm on December 1, 2021. 5 acres were burned.
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (2.2 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (1.8 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 2nd
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 71°F in Franklin in 1970
lowest Temperature 8°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1960
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.14 inches in Highlands in 2015
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 4.0 inches in Highlands in 1896
Record weather events for December in Macon County
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is back in 2021! The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. For tickets, see [GSMR.com]
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Adapted from an old Scandinavian custom of lighting the way for the Christ child, more than 2,500 candles in small white bags line the streets and every storefront is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street. For more information, see [Visit Dillsboro]
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National and World News Roundup
• New York City allows opening of safe illegal drug use sites, first in the nation [Spectrum News New York 1]
• MLB, MLBPA fail to reach new labor agreement; league in 1st lockout since 1990 [ESPN]
• Man who had open-heart surgery wins a $1 million lottery prize after the ticket came in a get-well card [CNN]
• Peng Shuai: WTA announces immediate suspension of tournaments in China [BBC Sport]
• CIA Files Say Staffers Committed Sex Crimes Involving Children. They Weren’t Prosecuted. [Buzz Feed News]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 1st, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 1st, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• Postvaccination Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adult with No Evidence of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection [CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases]
• Missouri health department found mask mandates work, but didn’t make findings public [Saint Louis Public Radio]
• Most Omicron cases are 'mild' and there's no evidence to suggest vaccines may be less effective against it, says WHO official [Sky News]
• Why We Shouldn’t Write Off Omicron Cases as ‘Mild’ [Bloomberg]
• People want a better world after the COVID-19 pandemic but don't believe it will really happen [PHYS.ORG]
• UMass Amherst to require COVID booster shots for students this spring [Mass Live]
11/30/21: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
• Enhancing Readiness for Omicron (B.1.1.529): Technical Brief and Priority Actions for Member States [World Health Organization]
• Covid misinformation spreads because so many Americans are awful at math [Washington Post]
• A Shot to Save the World: The Inside Story of the Life-or-Death Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine [Amazon (Link to Kindle Edition)]
• The real risk of heart inflammation to kids is from COVID-19—not the vaccine [National Geographic]
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On This Day
December 2nd is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 29 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.
1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.
1763 – Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
1766 – Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.
1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
1823 – Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
1845 – Manifest destiny: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James K. Polk proposes that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
1848 – Franz Joseph I becomes Emperor of Austria.
1851 – French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
1852 – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
1859 – Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16 raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
1865 – Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
1867 – At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
1899 – Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, termed "The Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
1908 – Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.
1917 – World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
1927 – Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
1930 – Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
1939 – New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.
1942 – World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1943 – World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of World War I-era mustard gas.
1947 – Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Riots break out in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
1949 – Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.
1950 – Korean War: Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends, with a decisive Chinese victory; UN forces were completely expelled from North Korea.
1954 – Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
1954 – The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.
1956 – The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.
1957 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.
1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
1962 – Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
1970 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
1971 – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
1975 – Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
1976 – Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
1980 – Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
1982 – At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
1988 – Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state.
1989 – The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai is signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, ending the over two-decade-long communist insurgency in Malaysia.
1991 – Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
1993 – Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed in Medellín.
1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
1999 – The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive following the Good Friday Agreement.
2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
2015 – San Bernardino attack: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik kill 14 people and wound 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
2016 – Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.
2020 – The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs removes cannabis from the list of most dangerous drugs of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
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Published at 5:00am on Thursday, December 02, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
---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------
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Local and State News
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]
• Brasstown Ringers to Perform Christmas Concert Series [Macon Media]
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Saturday Night
Franklin area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds ealry increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 40. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph before noon.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40. Calm winds.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Calm winds.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Sunny, with highs in the lower 60s. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Tonight
Clear, with lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning becoming light and variable in the afternoon.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 7 mph.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs near 60. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning becoming calm in the afternoon.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 40.
Otto area
Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 60s. Light winds out of the northwest early increasing to 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows around 40. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 7 mph.
Friday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Light winds out of the northwest.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 60s. Light winds out of the northwest.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s.
Nantahala area
Today
Sunny, with highs in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday
Sunny, with highs near 70. Calm winds.
Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Light and variable winds.
Saturday
Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 60s. Calm winds.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the lower 40s.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
A dry air mass will remain entrenched across the region again today, with afternoon relative humidity values dropping to 35 to 45 percent. These dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels will make outdoor burning dangerous.
...OUTDOOR BURN BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...
The state of North Carolina has issued a state wide burn ban due to the very dry conditions and exceptionally dry fuels. This burn ban is expected to remain in place until significant rain occurs.
Outdoor burning is prohibited. Please refer to your local burn permitting authorities for further information. [Press Release]
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
700 PM EST Tue Nov 30 2021
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.
This is the last regularly scheduled Tropical Weather Outlook of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will resume on May 15, 2022. During the off-season, Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued as conditions warrant.
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the lower range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the lower range of green. This is due to a fire in Arkansas that has exceeded 2,000 acres.
Fire and Smoke Map
(There is haze from the wildfires out on the west coast.)
Increased smoke haze from the Fodderstack Fire in Arkansas (2,060 acres, 60% contained) may reach the region today.
The USFS report the Ray Cove Fire has been contained as of 2:30pm on December 1, 2021. 5 acres were burned.
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (2.2 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (1.8 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for December 2nd
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 71°F in Franklin in 1970
lowest Temperature 8°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1960
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.14 inches in Highlands in 2015
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 4.0 inches in Highlands in 1896
Record weather events for December in Macon County
Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is back in 2021! The 1¼ hour round-trip passenger excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. For tickets, see [GSMR.com]
Dillsboro Lights & Luminaries
Adapted from an old Scandinavian custom of lighting the way for the Christ child, more than 2,500 candles in small white bags line the streets and every storefront is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. Shopkeepers and restaurants are open late. See Santa and Mrs. Claus as they ride through town in their pickup truck. Write a letter to Santa and drop it off at his special mailbox. Live music on Front Street. For more information, see [Visit Dillsboro]
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National and World News Roundup
• New York City allows opening of safe illegal drug use sites, first in the nation [Spectrum News New York 1]
• MLB, MLBPA fail to reach new labor agreement; league in 1st lockout since 1990 [ESPN]
• Man who had open-heart surgery wins a $1 million lottery prize after the ticket came in a get-well card [CNN]
• Peng Shuai: WTA announces immediate suspension of tournaments in China [BBC Sport]
• CIA Files Say Staffers Committed Sex Crimes Involving Children. They Weren’t Prosecuted. [Buzz Feed News]
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - December 1st, 2021
PBS NewsHour Full Episode December 1st, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• Postvaccination Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adult with No Evidence of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection [CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases]
• Missouri health department found mask mandates work, but didn’t make findings public [Saint Louis Public Radio]
• Most Omicron cases are 'mild' and there's no evidence to suggest vaccines may be less effective against it, says WHO official [Sky News]
• Why We Shouldn’t Write Off Omicron Cases as ‘Mild’ [Bloomberg]
• People want a better world after the COVID-19 pandemic but don't believe it will really happen [PHYS.ORG]
• UMass Amherst to require COVID booster shots for students this spring [Mass Live]
11/30/21: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
• Enhancing Readiness for Omicron (B.1.1.529): Technical Brief and Priority Actions for Member States [World Health Organization]
• Covid misinformation spreads because so many Americans are awful at math [Washington Post]
• A Shot to Save the World: The Inside Story of the Life-or-Death Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine [Amazon (Link to Kindle Edition)]
• The real risk of heart inflammation to kids is from COVID-19—not the vaccine [National Geographic]
Back to Top
On This Day
December 2nd is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 29 days remain until the end of the year.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
1244 – Pope Innocent IV arrives at Lyon for the First Council of Lyon.
1409 – The University of Leipzig opens.
1697 – St Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt to the design of Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London, is consecrated.
1763 – Dedication of the Touro Synagogue, in Newport, Rhode Island, the first synagogue in what will become the United States.
1766 – Swedish parliament approves the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act and implements it as a ground law, thus being first in the world with freedom of speech.
1804 – At Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French.
1805 – War of the Third Coalition: Battle of Austerlitz: French troops under Napoleon decisively defeat a joint Russo-Austrian force.
1823 – Monroe Doctrine: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James Monroe proclaims American neutrality in future European conflicts, and warns European powers not to interfere in the Americas.
1845 – Manifest destiny: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President James K. Polk proposes that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
1848 – Franz Joseph I becomes Emperor of Austria.
1851 – French President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte overthrows the Second Republic.
1852 – Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte becomes Emperor of the French as Napoleon III.
1859 – Militant abolitionist leader John Brown is hanged for his October 16 raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
1865 – Alabama ratifies the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, followed by North Carolina, then Georgia; U.S. slaves were legally free within two weeks.
1867 – At Tremont Temple in Boston, British author Charles Dickens gives his first public reading in the United States.
1899 – Philippine–American War: The Battle of Tirad Pass, termed "The Filipino Thermopylae", is fought.
1908 – Puyi becomes Emperor of China at the age of two.
1917 – World War I: Russia and the Central Powers sign an armistice at Brest-Litovsk, and peace talks leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk begin.
1927 – Following 19 years of Ford Model T production, the Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.
1930 – Great Depression: In a State of the Union message, U.S. President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
1939 – New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.
1942 – World War II: During the Manhattan Project, a team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first artificial self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1943 – World War II: A Luftwaffe bombing raid on the harbour of Bari, Italy, sinks numerous cargo and transport ships, including the American SS John Harvey, which is carrying a stockpile of World War I-era mustard gas.
1947 – Jerusalem Riots of 1947: Riots break out in Jerusalem in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
1949 – Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is adopted.
1950 – Korean War: Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River ends, with a decisive Chinese victory; UN forces were completely expelled from North Korea.
1954 – Cold War: The United States Senate votes 65 to 22 to censure Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute".
1954 – The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Taiwan, is signed in Washington, D.C.
1956 – The Granma reaches the shores of Cuba's Oriente Province. Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement disembark to initiate the Cuban Revolution.
1957 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 126 relating to the Kashmir conflict is adopted.
1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
1962 – Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to comment adversely on the war's progress.
1970 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.
1971 – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Quwain form the United Arab Emirates.
1975 – Laotian Civil War: The Pathet Lao seizes the Laotian capital of Vientiane, forces the abdication of King Sisavang Vatthana, and proclaims the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
1976 – Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, replacing Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado.
1980 – Salvadoran Civil War: Four American missionaries are raped and murdered by a death squad.
1982 – At the University of Utah, Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart.
1988 – Benazir Bhutto is sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of an Islam-dominated state.
1989 – The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai is signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the governments of Malaysia and Thailand, ending the over two-decade-long communist insurgency in Malaysia.
1991 – Canada and Poland become the first nations to recognize the independence of Ukraine from the Soviet Union.
1993 – Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar is shot and killed in Medellín.
1993 – Space Shuttle program: STS-61: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.
1999 – The United Kingdom devolves political power in Northern Ireland to the Northern Ireland Executive following the Good Friday Agreement.
2001 – Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
2015 – San Bernardino attack: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik kill 14 people and wound 22 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California.
2016 – Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.
2020 – The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs removes cannabis from the list of most dangerous drugs of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
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Published at 5:00am on Thursday, December 02, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
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