Agenda for the December 2023 Meeting of the Franklin Town Council

The Franklin Town Council will be meeting at 6pm on Monday, December 4th, in the lower level of the town hall. Due to it being the first meeting after a municipal election, the candidates who won will be sworn in and seated. Copies of the public agenda and the 70 page agenda packet have been added below in the interest of promoting transparency. A separate article will be posted for the live webcast.

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Public Agenda

1. Call to Order – Town Manager Amie Owens
2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Oath of Office for Mayor and Town Council Members – Clerk of Court Shawna Lamb
A.) Jack Horton, Mayor
B.) Joe Collins, Council Member
C.) Mike Lewis, Council Member
D.) Robbie Tompa, Council Member

Mayor and Council Member comments

There will be a brief recess to allow individuals to take their place at the dais and Mayor Jack Horton will take over the meeting following the recess

4. Election of Vice Mayor – Town Council

5. Adoption of the December 4, 2023 Town Council Agenda – Town Council

6. Approval of the Consent Agenda for December 4, 2023 – Town Council
A.) Approval of November 6, 2023 Town Council Minutes
B.) Budget Amendments
C.) Response Letter to LGC from Audit Finding
D.) Surplus Equipment – Ballistic Vest
E.) Resolution of Support for Highway Improvement Funding for Acceleration Lane/On Ramp

7. Introduction and Recognition
A.) Police Officer Tyler Brand – introduction by Police Chief Devin Holland
B.) Kyle Pocquette, Water Treatment Plant ORC – B-Distribution Certification – presented by Bill Deal, Public Works Director
C.) Blake Hawkins, Water Treatment Operator – A-Surface Certification – presented by Kyle Pocquette, Water Treatment Plant ORC

8. Public Hearing
A.) Public Hearing to receive public input on a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance Section 152.034 – Conditional Zoning – Justin Setser, Town Planner

9. Public Session

10. New Business
A.) Reappointment of Town Manager, Town Attorney and Town Clerk – Mayor Jack Horton
B.) Request approval of change orders for Phillips Street and Harrison Avenue sidewalk project – Town Manager Amie Owens
C.) Adoption of the 2024 Town Council Meeting Schedule – Town Manager Amie Owens
D.) Adoption of the 2024 Town Holiday Schedule – Town Manager Amie Owens

11. Departmental Reports
A. Human Resources – Nicole Bradley, Human Resources Director/Town Clerk
B. Tax Collection/Events – Sabrina Scruggs, Tax Collector
C. Fire Department – Fire Chief Ben Ormond

12. Items from Council
A.) Social District Discussion – Town Council
B.) Annual Council Retreat Scheduling – Town Council

13. Announcements
A. Next Town Council Meeting is Tuesday, January 2, 2024
B. Christmas holidays for Town Offices – December 25, 26 & 27, 2023 (Monday – Wednesday)
C. 10th Annual Ruby Drop – Downtown – December 31, 2023 – two drops one at 9:00 p.m. and another at midnight (Sunday)
D. New Year’s holiday for Town Offices – January 1, 2024 (Monday)

14. Adjourn

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Agenda Packet [Download PDF]

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Published at 11:00pm on Thursday, November 30, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins

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News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, November 30, 2023

Here is the news and weather briefing for Macon County.

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GENERAL OUTLOOK

High pressure will linger over the region leading to continued dry weather through tonight. Moisture will return from the west beginning early Friday, with off and on rain chances through the weekend as low pressure systems move across the Eastern states. Drier conditions will return early next week as high pressure builds into the region.

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---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------

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Local Weather

General Forecast Through Friday Night

Franklin Area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers. Highs in the mid 50s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.

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`Highlands Plateau

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 30s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers, mainly after 7am. Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Highs in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.

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Otto and South Central Macon County

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid-to-upper 30s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers, mainly after 7am. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southeast 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Cloudy, with highs near 60. Chance of rain is 70%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows around 50. Chance of rain is 80%.

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Nantahala Area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 3am. Increasing clouds, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds increasing to come out of the east around 5 mph by midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday

Showers. Highs in the low-to-mid 50s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night

Showers likely, mainly before 10pm. Cloudy, with lows around 50. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.

Saturday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Highs near 60. Chance of rain is 80%.

Saturday Night

Showers. Lows in the lower 50s. Chance of rain is 80%.

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Hazards

Most of the county will not experience hazardous weather conditions today, however, elevations above 3500 may experience wind chills in the single digits this morning.

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Record Weather Events for November 30th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2021)

Highest Temperature 73°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1970
Lowest Temperature 7°F in Franklin in 1959
Greatest Rainfall 1.63 inches in Highlands in 2020
Greatest Snowfall 0.5 inches in Franklin in 1876

Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 83°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 11-04-2003
Lowest Temperature -3°F in Highlands on 11-25-1950
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands on 11-29-1914
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands on 11-28-1922

(the excessive rainfall was due to the remnants of Hurricane Hilda)

Record Weather Events for November 30th in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 83°F in Longwood, Brunswick County in 1985
Lowest Temperature -7°F in Banner Elk, Avery County in 1955
Greatest Rainfall 4.89 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County in 1934
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Banner Elk, Avery County in 1903 />
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 89°F in High Point, Guilford County on 11-04-1974
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County on 11-15-1969
Greatest Rainfall 9.70 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 11-19-2003
Greatest Snowfall 13.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 11-01-2014

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News Briefing
---STATE AND LOCAL---

NC Lottery Approving Applications for Sports Betting Licenses | WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)



• Why NC's most powerful Republican is endorsing a candidate for governor, but not president [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• After NC substation attack, lawmaker ‘not sure the FBI is taking this very seriously’ [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• State Board of Elections invites public input on new rules regarding election observers [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• On the Edge: Is child care headed off a cliff in Western North Carolina? [BPR]

---NATIONAL---

Henry Kissinger, statesman and scholar, dies at 100 | Washington Post



Jimmy Carter, Biden, Former First Ladies Attend Rosalynn Carter's Funeral In Atlanta, Georgia | Forbes Breaking News



• Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state who shaped decades of U.S. policy, dies at 100 [NBC News]

• Henry Kissinger, Colossus on the World Stage [Foreign Policy]

• US lost more than two local newspapers a week this year, new Medill report finds [Poynter]

• Trump legal news brief: Trump’s lawyers say he did not take an oath ‘to support the Constitution’ [Yahoo News]

• Justices skeptical that double jeopardy clause allows retrial based on inconsistent verdict of acquittal [SCOTUSblog]

International News Headlines

The rise of Xi Jinping, explained | Vox



Putin's advances in the Arctic | DW Documentary





• US says it foiled alleged plot to assassinate Sikh activist in New York [BBC News]

• Why Can’t Mexico Stop the Killing of Journalists? [Columbia Journalism Review]

• Five journalists were shot in one day in Mexico, officials confirm [AP News]



Washington Today (11-28-23): Fmr First Lady Rosalynn Carter remembered for 'unshakeable strength" | C-SPAN Radio



Advancing Digital Transformation and Digital Public Infrastructure: The Role of the Private Sector | Center for Strategic & International Studies



Global National: Nov. 29, 2023 | US alleges plot to kill Sikh activist in NY tied to BC murder



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Nov. 29, 2023

Nightly News Full Broadcast - Nov. 29 | NBC News

PBS NewsHour full episode, (November 29, 2023)

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---COVID--- 



• XBB.1.5 monovalent mRNA vaccine booster elicits robust neutralizing antibodies against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants [bioRxiv]

• Financial incentives for COVID-19 vaccines in a rural low-resource setting: a cluster-randomized trial [naure medicine]

• Why You Are More Likely to Get Sick This Winter, in Charts [Wall Street Journal]

• TWiV 1062: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]

• TWiV 1063: Childhood paralysis with Kevin Messacar [Microbe TV]

Science and Technology 

• The Sky This Week from November 24 to December 1: Celebrate November’s Full Beaver Moon [Astronomy Magazine]

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 24 - December 03 [Sky and Telescope Magazine]

The Internet is Worse Than Ever – Now What? | Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell



New Species of Desert-Running Dinosaur Discovered | 7 Days of Science | Ben G Thomas



• Elon Musk claims advertisers are trying to ‘blackmail’ him, says ‘Go f--- yourself’ [CNBC]

• A new kind of solar cell is coming: is it the future of green energy? [nature]

• Weather experts in Midwest say climate change reporting brings burnout and threats [NPR]

• Meta Joins Google In Turning Its Back On The Open Web, And Embracing Unconstitutional Mandates That Pretend To ‘Protect The Children’ [techdirt]

---SCIENCE VIDEOS---

The Level1 Show November 29 2023: I Will Not Follow The Board's Plan, Sam-I-Am | Level1 Techs



What is Microsoft Syncing? - DTNS 4654 | Daily Tech News Show



Can We Colonize Alpha Centauri with Current Technology? | John Michael Godier





The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill (Free with Ads) | YouTube Movies & TV



Moon rush: the launch of a lunar economy | FT Film



The Coming Psychological Black Death | WhatIfAltHist

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On This Day

November 30th is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 31 days remain until the end of the year.

Historical Events

Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)



977 – Emperor Otto II lifts the siege at Paris and withdraws. His rearguard is defeated while crossing the Aisne River by Frankish forces under King Lothair III.

1707 – The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of the British to capture Pensacola, Florida.

1718 – King Charles XII of Sweden dies during a siege of the fortress of Fredriksten in Norway.

1782 – American Revolutionary War: Treaty of Paris: In Paris, representatives from the United States and Great Britain sign preliminary peace articles (later formalized as the 1783 Treaty of Paris).

1786 – The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, under Pietro Leopoldo I, becomes the first modern state to abolish the death penalty (later commemorated as Cities for Life Day).

1803 – The Balmis Expedition starts in Spain with the aim of vaccinating millions against smallpox in Spanish America and Philippines.

1803 – In New Orleans, Spanish representatives officially transfer the Louisiana Territory to an official from the French First Republic. Just 20 days later, France transfers the same land to the United States as the Louisiana Purchase.

1804 – The Democratic-Republican-controlled United States Senate begins an impeachment trial of Federalist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase.

1829 – First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, five years to the day from the ground breaking.

1853 – Crimean War: Battle of Sinop: The Imperial Russian Navy under Pavel Nakhimov destroys the Ottoman fleet under Osman Pasha at Sinop, a sea port in northern Turkey.

1864 – American Civil War: The Confederate Army of Tennessee suffers heavy losses in an attack on the Union Army of the Ohio in the Battle of Franklin.

1872 – The first-ever international football match takes place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.

1883 – The style of western calendar, Common Era is conveyed to Joseon (Early-Modern Korean kingdom).

1900 – A German engineer patents front-wheel drive for autos.

1916 – Costa Rica signs the Buenos Aires Convention, a copyright treaty.

1934 – The LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman becomes the first steam locomotive to be authenticated as reaching 100 mph.

1936 – In London, the Crystal Palace is destroyed by fire.

1939 – World War II: Soviet forces cross the Finnish border in several places and bomb Helsinki and several other Finnish cities, starting the Winter War.

1940 – World War II: Signing of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1940 between the Empire of Japan and the newly formed Wang Jingwei-led Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China. This treaty was considered so unfair to China that it was compared to the Twenty-One Demands

1942 – World War II: Battle of Tassafaronga; A smaller squadron of Japanese destroyers led by Raizō Tanaka defeats a U.S. cruiser force under Carleton H. Wright.

1947 – Civil War in Mandatory Palestine begins, leading up to the creation of the state of Israel.

1953 – Edward Mutesa II, the kabaka (king) of Buganda is deposed and exiled to London by Sir Andrew Cohen, Governor of Uganda.

1954 – In Sylacauga, Alabama, United States, the Hodges meteorite crashes through a roof and hits a woman taking an afternoon nap; this is the only documented case in the Western Hemisphere of a human being hit by a rock from space.

1966 – Barbados becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

1967 – South Yemen becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

1967 – The Pakistan Peoples Party is founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who becomes its first chairman.

1967 – Pro-Soviet communists in the Philippines establish Malayang Pagkakaisa ng Kabataan Pilipino as its new youth wing.

1971 – Iran seizes the Greater and Lesser Tunbs from the Emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

1972 – Vietnam War: White House Press Secretary Ron Ziegler tells the press that there will be no more public announcements concerning American troop withdrawals from Vietnam because troop levels are now down to 27,000.

1981 – Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe. (The meetings end inconclusively on December 17.)

1982 – Michael Jackson's sixth solo studio album, Thriller, is released worldwide, ultimately to become the best-selling record album in history.

1994 – MS Achille Lauro catches fire off the coast of Somalia.

1995 – Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

1995 – U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Northern Ireland and speaks in favor of the "Northern Ireland peace process" to a huge rally at Belfast City Hall; he calls IRA fighters "yesterday's men".

1999 – Exxon and Mobil sign a US$73.7 billion agreement to merge, thus creating ExxonMobil, the world's largest company.

1999 – In Seattle, United States, demonstrations against a World Trade Organization meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies.

1999 – British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems merge to form BAE Systems, Europe's largest defense contractor and the fourth largest aerospace firm in the world.

2000 – NASA launches STS-97, the 101st Space Shuttle mission.

2001 – Gary Ridgway is apprehended and charged with four murders. He was eventually convicted of a total of 49 murders.

2004 – Lion Air Flight 583 overshoots the runway while landing at Adisumarmo International Airport and crashes, killing 25 people.

2005 – John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York.

2012 – An Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane belonging to Aéro-Service, crashes into houses near Maya-Maya Airport during a thunderstorm, killing at least 32 people.

2018 – A magnitude 7.1 earthquake with its epicenter only 15 miles from Anchorage, Alaska causes significant property damage but no deaths.

2021 – Barbados becomes a republic.

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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 Thursday, November 30, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins


Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to rthe 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. 

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News and Weather Briefing for Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Here is the news and weather briefing for Macon County.

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GENERAL OUTLOOK

Dry and chilly high pressure will be overhead today leading to clear skies and lighter winds. High pressure will linger over the region through Thursday night leading to continued dry weather. Moisture will return from the west on Friday with unsettled weather occurring at times through the weekend as waves of low pressure track across the Southeast.

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Local Weather

General Forecast Through Friday Night

Franklin Area

Today

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

Tonight Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 20s. Calm winds.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Light winds out of the the southeast.

Friday

Rain, mainly before 3pm. highs in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 90%.

Friday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Chance of rain is 50%.

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`Highlands Plateau

Today

Sunny, with highs in the low-to-mid 40s. Light winds out of the west early in the morning increasing to 5 to 10 mph by midmorning.

Tonight

Increasing clouds, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with highs near 50. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm around noon.

Thursday Night

A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. South wind 3 to 7 mph.

Friday

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

Friday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 40s. Chance of rain is 50%.

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Otto and South Central Macon County

Today

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

Tonight

Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 20s. Light winds out of the north.

Thursday

Sunny, with highs in the upper 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 30s. Calm winds in the early evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.

Friday

Rain, mainly before 4pm. highs in the mid 50s. Chance of rain is 90%.

Friday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid 40s. Chance of rain is 50%.

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Nantahala Area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the west 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight

Increasing clouds, with lows around 30. Winds out of the southwest 3 to 5 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the upper 30s. Calm winds in the early evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.

Friday

Rain, mainly before 3pm. highs near 50. Chance of rain is 90%.

Friday Night

A chance of rain before 7pm, then a chance of showers after 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-to-upper 40s. Chance of rain is 40%.

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Hazards

Most of the county will not experience hazardous weather conditions today, however, elevations above 3500 may experience wind chills in the single digits this morning.

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Record Weather Events for November 29th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2021)

Highest Temperature 74°F in Franklin in 1970
Lowest Temperature 5°F in Highlands in 1922
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands in 1914
Greatest Snowfall 2.0 inches in Highlands in 1963

Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 83°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 11-04-2003
Lowest Temperature -3°F in Highlands on 11-25-1950
Greatest Rainfall 4.69 inches in Highlands on 11-29-1914
Greatest Snowfall 6.0 inches in Highlands on 11-28-1922

(the excessive rainfall was due to the remnants of Hurricane Hilda)

Record Weather Events for November 29th in North Carolina

Highest Temperature 83°F in Wilmington, New Hanover County in 1985
Lowest Temperature -5°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County in 1955
Greatest Rainfall 7.50 inches in Henderson, Vance County in 1934
Greatest Snowfall 5.0 inches in Marshall, Madison County in 1903 />
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of November Data available from 1872

Highest Temperature 89°F in High Point, Guilford County on 11-04-1974
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Grandfather Mountain, Avery County on 11-15-1969
Greatest Rainfall 9.70 inches in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County on 11-19-2003
Greatest Snowfall 13.00 in Mount Mitchell, Yancey County on 11-01-2014

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News Briefing
---STATE AND LOCAL---

Retired Air Force colonel rescues cats stuck in trees | WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)



• District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch and other WNC leaders win NC Dogwood Awards from AG Josh Stein. [Asheville Citizen Times]

• NC wanted to share information on drug pricing. Here’s how it got shot down. [Raleigh News and Observer]

• Rep. Caleb Rudow announces run for NC District 11 seat [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]

• NC Gov. Roy Cooper, facing end of term, ups his profile as Biden surrogate [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC) ]

---NATIONAL---

Biden speaks on efforts to improve supply chains and lower inflation | PBS NewsHour



Memorial service for Rosalynn Carter, with Jimmy Carter and Bidens expected | PBS NewsHour



• Rosalynn Carter funeral: Jimmy Carter and all 5 living first ladies attend service [Yahoo News]

• Cardinals LB Jesse Luketa got a flat tire before Sunday’s game — a family was there to help [The Athletic]

• Just 2 House members did not vote in favor of a resolution affirming Israel's right to exist [Business Insider (via Yahoo News)]

• Nikki Haley bags Koch endorsement in bid to replace Donald Trump [BBC News]

• With Fed likely done hiking rates, Waller flags pivot ahead [Reuters]

International News Headlines

Common virus surge in China linked to COVID lockdown | Vargas Report | News Nation



Iranian Drone Spies on US Navy Transiting Strait of Hormuz | Funker530



• Net zero by 2050: 9 charts showing the world's progress [DW News]

• Mali opens terror probe into jihadists and separatists [France 24]

• ECOWAS ready “to deploy elements” in Sierra Leone “if need be” [Africa News]

• UN warns that gang violence is overwhelming Haiti’s once peaceful central region [AP News]

• (video) Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: How the 17-day India rescue unfolded [BBC News]

• First morning outside Uttarkashi tunnel, here's what 41 workers did after 17 days [Hindustan Times]

• S. Korea mulling restoring disarmed guard post on eastern front: sources [Yonhap News Agency]

Washington Today (11-28-23): Fmr First Lady Rosalynn Carter remembered for 'unshakeable strength" | C-SPAN Radio



Divisions over Israel and Ukraine aid, Nikki Haley scores Koch endorsement, more | America Decides | CBS News



GGlobal National: Nov. 28, 2023 | 12 more hostages released as Gaza fighting pause holds



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - Nov. 28, 2023

Nightly News Full Broadcast - Nov. 28 | NBC News

PBS NewsHour full episode, (November 28, 2023)

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---COVID--- Long COVID: All you need to know | Sabine Hossenfelder



• New CDC life expectancy data shows painfully slow rebound from covid [Washington Post]

• WHO authorizes emergency use of Novavax's updated COVID shot [Reuters (via Yahoo News)]

• xxx [xxx]

• Vaccination, immunity, and the changing impact of COVID-19 on infant health [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]

• SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody treatment followed by vaccination shifts human memory B cell epitope recognition suggesting antibody feedback [bioRxiv]

• Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization in individuals with natural, vaccine-induced and hybrid immunity: a retrospective population-based cohort study from Estonia [nature: scientifics report]

• TWiV 1062: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]

• TWiV 1063: Childhood paralysis with Kevin Messacar [Microbe TV]

Science and Technology SpaceX Starlink 124 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 28 November 2023 | SciNews



• The Sky This Week from November 24 to December 1: Celebrate November’s Full Beaver Moon [Astronomy Magazine]

• This Week's Sky at a Glance, November 24 - December 03 [Sky and Telescope Magazine]

Altman's Whiplash Weekend | TWiT TV



You Can't Escape Worms | Compilation | Journey to the Microcosmos



The Last of Starship V1 | Starbase Update | NASA Spaceflight



• Electric Cars and Driving Range: Here’s What to Know [Wall Street Journal]

• Remote work, reduced pay: are we willing to make a trade? [Eureka Alerts (American Association for the Advancement of Sciene)]

• Elon Musk Endorses Debunked ‘Pizzagate’ Conspiracy Theory—And Deletes Post [Forbes Magazine]

• The Washington Post Will Pause Its Advertising on X [Washingtonian]

• Researchers discover new classes of RNA for learning and memory [University of Queensland (Australia)]

• Meta Joins Google In Turning Its Back On The Open Web, And Embracing Unconstitutional Mandates That Pretend To ‘Protect The Children’ [techdirt]

---SCIENCE VIDEOS--- The Level1 Show November 29 2023: I Will Not Follow The Board's Plan, Sam-I-Am | Level1 Techs



Will My Hand Be Stolen? - DTNS 4653 | Daily Tech News Show



Turning A Semi-Boring Genre Of Tech Into Magic - Android Faithful #21 | Daily Tech News Show



Coder 546: A Very Tidy Excuse | Jupiter Broadcasting



Czechoslovak Legion - One of the Best Stories Ever Told | Kings and Generals



SpaceX Preparing Starship Version 2! Ship 25 Explodes, Raptor 3 Around the Corner, & Ariane VI Tests | Matt Lowne



SpaceX Starship Booster 9 Tank Slosh simulation | TheSpaceEngineer



How do magnets work? | Fermilab



This Simple Question Changed Gravity Forever | The Science Asylum



The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill (Free with Ads) | YouTube Movies & TV



Moon rush: the launch of a lunar economy | FT Film



The Coming Psychological Black Death | WhatIfAltHist



Special Section: The Hamas-Israel War of 2023

• Iran Updates (Refocused on the Israel-Hamas War), November 28, 2023 [Institute for the Understanding of War]

• Liveblog: PM receives list of hostages to be released Wednesday [Jerusalem Post]

• Liveblog: Israel-Hamas war live: Palestinians hope for another Gaza truce extension [Al Jazeera]

Israel’s Ground Assault to Cease-Fire | Task and Purpose



🔴 (discretion) Ceasefire in Gaza, Russia Gains Ground | Combat Footage Show



Israel, Hamas Extend Gaza Truce | Bloomberg Television



Houthis fire ballistic missiles toward US warship | Fox News



• Germany records over 300% increase in antisemitic incidents [DW News]

• How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October [BBC News]

• New revelations on Oct. 7 failures show incorrect assessments, officials left out of the loop [YNET News]

• Israel-Hamas War Day 54 | Israel Receives List of Hostages to Be Released From Hamas Captivity Wednesday as Gaza Cease-fire Talks Resume [Haaretz]

• US sending planes with Gaza aid, says Israel should limit civilian displacement [Al Arabiya News]

• Israel must face international court – Erdogan [Russia Today]

ukraine **note** Al Jazeera appears to have abandoned their daily liveblog on this war. --Bobby
• Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 639 [Al Jazeera]

• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 28, 2023 [Institute for the Understanding of War]

• Russo-Ukrainian war, day 643: Ukrainian society shows high level of unity despite ongoing Russian aggression [Euromaidan Press]

Russia extends Wall Street Journal reporter's detention | Fox News



20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | FRONTLINE and The Associated Press



Video shows fierce trench warfare in Ukraine | CNN



How Ukraine and Russia Are Both Adapting To Ukraine's Offensive | The Military Show



• Ukraine live updates: Kyiv urges support to protect grain exports[DW News]

• Ukraine fighting is deadlocked, spy chief Kyrylo Budanov tells BBC [BBC News]

• Ukraine's Avdiivka empties in face of Russian assaults [France 24]

• NATO chief urges allies to ‘stay the course’ in supporting Ukraine [Al Jazeera]

Pro-Russian News Sources

NATO Was For The Purpose Of Waging War Against Russia | Douglas Macgregor Straight Calls



• US trying to organize coup in Russia – Moscow [Russia Today]

• Putin: The West wants to dismember and plunder Russia [Pravda]

• NATO aims to contain Russia, sacrifices Ukraine’s people — Kremlin spokesman [TASS]

----------UKRAINE VIDEOS------------ 🔴 (discretion) Ceasefire in Gaza, Russia Gains Ground | Combat Footage Show



Ukraine Conflict (20231128): Full Frontline Update | ATP Geopolitics



Day 641: Ukraïnian Map | Ukraine News TV



Ukraine military spy chief’s wife poisoned with heavy metals: officials | New York Post



This Ukrainian Town Could Become the Next Bakhmut | WSJ



Russia's Black Sea Fleet forced back by biggest Crimea storm in 100 years | The Telegraph



Fierce fighting continues in eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka | ITV News



Ukraine's army bolsters defences to repel Russian forces amid increasing attacks | Times Radio



Volunteers from Brazil fighting for a free Ukraine | Military Mind | TVP World

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On This Day

November 29th is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 32 days remain until the end of the year.

Historical Events

Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)



561 – Following the death of King Chlothar I at Compiègne, his four sons, Charibert I, Guntram, Sigebert I and Chilperic I, divide the Frankish Kingdom.

618 – The Tang dynasty scores a decisive victory over their rival Xue Rengao at the Battle of Qianshuiyuan.

903 – The Abbasid army under Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Katib defeats the Qarmatians at the Battle of Hama.

1394 – The Korean king Yi Seong-gye, founder of the Joseon dynasty, moves the capital from Kaesŏng to Hanyang, today known as Seoul.

1549 – The papal conclave of 1549–50 begins.

1612 – The Battle of Swally takes place, which loosens the Portuguese Empire's hold on India.

1729 – Natchez Indians massacre 138 Frenchmen, 35 French women, and 56 children at Fort Rosalie, near the site of modern-day Natchez, Mississippi.

1732 – The magnitude 6.6 Irpinia earthquake causes 1,940 deaths in the former Kingdom of Naples, southern Italy.

1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia, comes to an end with the arrival of British reinforcements.

1777 – San Jose, California, is founded as Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe by José Joaquín Moraga. It is the first civilian settlement, or pueblo, in Alta California.

1781 – The crew of the British slave ship Zong murders 133 Africans by dumping them into the sea to claim insurance.

1783 – A 5.3 magnitude earthquake strikes New Jersey.

1807 – Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil: John VI of Portugal flees Lisbon from advancing Napoleonic forces during the Peninsular War, transferring the Portuguese court to Brazil.

1830 – November Uprising: An armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland begins.

1847 – The Sonderbund is defeated by the joint forces of other Swiss cantons under General Guillaume-Henri Dufour.

1847 – Whitman massacre: Missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa, and 15 others are killed by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians, causing the Cayuse War.

1850 – The treaty, Punctation of Olmütz, is signed in Olomouc. Prussia capitulates to Austria, which will take over the leadership of the German Confederation.

1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sanders: Union forces under Ambrose Burnside successfully defend Knoxville, Tennessee from Confederate forces under James Longstreet.

1864 – American Indian Wars: Sand Creek massacre: Colorado volunteers led by Colonel John Chivington massacre at least 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho noncombatants inside Colorado Territory.

1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Spring Hill: The Confederate Army of Tennessee misses an opportunity to crush the Army of the Ohio.

1872 – American Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.

1877 – Thomas Edison demonstrates his phonograph for the first time.

1890 – The Meiji Constitution goes into effect in Japan, and the first Diet convenes.

1899 – FC Barcelona is founded by Catalan, Spanish and Englishmen. It later develops into one of Spanish football's most iconic and strongest teams.

1902 – The Pittsburgh Stars defeated the Philadelphia Athletics, 11–0 to win the first championship associated with an American national professional football league.

1929 – U.S. Admiral Richard E. Byrd leads the first expedition to fly over the South Pole.

1943 – World War II: The second session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ), held to determine the post-war ordering of the country, concludes in Jajce (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina).

1944 – World War II: Albania is liberated by the Partisans.

1945 – The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia is declared.

1947 – Partition Plan: The United Nations General Assembly approves a plan for the partition of Palestine.

1947 – First Indochina War: French forces carry out a massacre at Mỹ Trạch, Vietnam.

1952 – Korean War: U.S. President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower fulfills a campaign promise by traveling to Korea to find out what can be done to end the conflict.

1961 – Project Mercury: Mercury-Atlas 5 Mission: Enos, a chimpanzee, is launched into space. The spacecraft orbits the Earth twice and splashes down off the coast of Puerto Rico.

1963 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson establishes the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

1963 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831 crashes shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Dorval International Airport, killing all 118 people on board.

1963 – "I Want to Hold Your Hand", recorded on October 17, 1963, is released by the Beatles in the United Kingdom.

1967 – Vietnam War: U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara announces his resignation.

1972 – Atari releases Pong, the first commercially successful video game.

1986 – The Surinamese military attacks the village of Moiwana during the Suriname Guerrilla War, killing at least 39 civilians, mostly women and children.

1987 – North Korean agents plant a bomb on Korean Air Flight 858, which kills all 115 passengers and crew.

2007 – The Armed Forces of the Philippines lay siege to the Peninsula Manila after soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes stage a mutiny.

2009 – Maurice Clemmons shoots and kills four police officers inside a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington.

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Published at 5:00am on Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Author: Bobby Coggins


Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to rthe 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. 

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