ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media]
• Nine N.C. counties in exceptional drought as statewide drought continues [Macon Media]
WEATHER OUTLOOK
1. A cold front will approach from the north and bring higher rain chances over the weekend, and slightly cooler temperatures early next week. ↑ Back to Top
SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
This half price sale is for those who sign up during July and remains effect for the rest of the year. Current sponsors receive the half price discount automatically.
DAY SPONSOR
This space available
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FORECAST
(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)
.TODAY....Areas of fog this morning. Mostly sunny this morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. North winds around 5 mph this morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.TONIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.FRIDAY....Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. North winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.FRIDAY NIGHT....Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.SATURDAY....Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.SUNDAY....Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.SUNDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.MONDAY....Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.5 out of 12) today with Grasses and Plantain being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (0.5 out of 3.0).
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
Benefit for Randy Drinnon
July 25th at 5pm
Learn more on Facebook
Friends of the Greenway would like to invite you to our Christmas in July sale, July 22-25, 9-2 each day. Do some Christmas shopping early with 20% off everything in the Gift Shop. On Saturday, July 25th, have a Christmas cookie and enjoy great music from 11-1. Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters, 573 E Main St, Franklin.
The many ways you can connect to Mountain Findings to arrange donation pick-ups, drop-off location, shopping hours, volunteering, and to learn more on our community grants programs and graduating seniors scholarships.
Facebook: @MountainFindings
Phone: 828-526-9929
Email: MountainFindings1@gmail.com
Webpage: MountainFindings.org
Location: 452 Spruce St, Highlands, NC
LIVE SATURDAY MIDDAY MUSIC CALENDAR FOR JUNE/JULY 2026
11a to 1p at Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
573 E Main St, Franklin, NC 28734
contact: frog28734@gmail.com; 828-369-8488
7-18-26—Two Troubadours...George James and Gary Gibson.
7-25-2026---Bill Petersen will be singing the blues along with maybe some originals. Then, up from Florida, hear John Bois and the Emotional Support Band.
To find out more about the Greenway and our organization, our website is: littletennessee.org.
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WEATHER ALMANAC
Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)
Highest Temperature 96°F in Franklin in 1980
Lowest Temperature 41°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 5.77 inches in Highlands in 1916
Record weather events for July in Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on Jul 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of July
Highest Temperature 109°F Albemarle, Stanly County Jul 28, 1940
Lowest Temperature 32°F Celo, Yancey County Jul 10, 1961
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.15 in Highlands, Macon County Jul 29, 1879
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WNC News
• Macon County Board of Commissioners July 14, 2026, Part One Introduction and Public Comment [Macon Media]
WNC county's budget amendment amid state law changes | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC
• Jackson County looks to restrict library community room use [Smoky Mountain News]
• Argent allegations, and now Federal charges [Macon Sense]
• NC has some of the highest cyclosporiasis numbers in the U.S. [Asheville Citizen-Times]
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NC News
Reaction as House lawmakers pass permanent daylight saving time bill | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• NC attorney general challenges Duke Energy Progress rate hike [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• NC county elections meeting erupts over early voting disputes, auditor influence [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Granville County elections board fails to adopt unanimous early voting plan after heated meeting [NC Newsline]
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National News
Dangerous wildfire smoke for millions: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - July 15, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - July 15 | Tornado strikes Texas, Train trapped in wildfire | NBC News
• Epstein Files Update: JD Vance Admits Trump Admin ‘Screwed Up’ [Newsweek]
• 100 House Democrats vote to cut off aid to Israel, showcasing party shift [The Hill]
• ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says [AP News]
• Congress might make daylight saving time permanent. Experts say another approach could be even better. [Yahoo News]
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World News
48 Ships in 120 Hours: Ukraine’s Campaign to Cut Off Crimea (+28 more on July 11: A Total of 76) | What's Going on With Shipping?
Brits in Spain describe deadly wildfire: 'There's nothing as far as the eye can see' | Sky News
• Middle East live: Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim strikes against Oman, Bahrain [France 24]
• Iran Update Special Report, July 12, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 12, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Ukraine strikes Moscow and sets oil depots ablaze as drone blitz continues [DW News]
• Ukraine reels after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death, fearing a weaker link to Trump [AP News]
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Iran War News
How Iran war is highlighting data center vulnerabilities | DW News
• Iran Update Special Report, July 10, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Trump threatens to ‘decimate’ Iran if it tries to kill him [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: Qatari mediators visit Iran to deescalate tensions, Trump responds to alleged assassination threats [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
China’s role in Russia’s war in Ukraine? What the leaked files reveal | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 10, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Trump grants Kyiv Patriots licences: What’s next in the Russia-Ukraine war? [DW News]
• Ukrainian drones batter Russian oil facilities and set more oil tankers ablaze [AP News]
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Financial News
Wall Street Week | The World’s First Trillionaire, Governance Meets Growth, Menopause Market Boom | Bloomberg Television
• U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts [Fortune Magazine]
• Apple is suing OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft [Yahoo Finance]
• The AI race is shifting from bigger models to cheaper, smarter systems [CNBC]
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Science News
China Released First Ever Picture of Earth's Quasi-Moon Kamo'oalewa | Anton Petrov
• Astronomers Use a Neutron Star Merger to Measure Cosmic Expansion [Universe Today]
• Why the human body has so many design flaws [ScienceDaily]
• Did a Passing Star Shower Us with Comets? [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
China Lands Its First Rocket // Two Asteroids // Milky Way's Bigger Than We Thought | Fraser Cain
• Study shows how toxic RFK Jr.’s change to measles vaccine is for US toddlers [Ars Technica]
• Space Force Has a New Weapon to Blind Enemy Satellites [Gizmodo]
• Pearson’s Anti-Piracy Vendor Takes Down Best-Selling Author’s Own GitHub Repo [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Satellites are watching the uplifted beach, and it can tell us something | TheGeoModels
Comparing the Biggest Explosions - Conventional vs Nuclear vs Accidents | Anton Petrov
Illegal dolphin hunting | DW Documentary
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CRYPTO NEWS
Bitcoin: Dubious Speculation | Benjamin Cowen
• Democrats Call for Senate Hearings on Trump's Massive Crypto Profits [Decrypt]
• DOJ moves to dismiss charges against alleged $722M BitClub fraudster: Report [Coin Telegraph]
• Ransomware Hacker Pleads Guilty After $15M Bitcoin Extortion Scheme [Bitcoin.com]
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Flock Cameras and Constitutional Rights
We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in under 30 Seconds. 🫥 | Benn Jordan
• How Benn Jordan Discovered Flock's Cameras Were Left Streaming to the Internet [404 Media]
• The Supreme Court Just Lit a Fuse Under Flock's License Plate Camera Empire [Yahoo News]
• Schmidt v. Norfolk [ACLU]
• Chatrie v. United States [SCOTUSblog]
• Under Surveillance: Constitutional Concerns Surrounding Flock Cameras [North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology]
• Research Report on Automatic License Plate Readers: Legal Status and Policy Recommendations for Law Enforcement Use [Brennan Cebnter for Justice]
This Flock Camera Leak is like Netflix For Stalkers | Benn Jordan and 404 Media
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Public Records Request for Macon County Flock Safety Cameras
As an independent citizen journalist covering local government in Macon County for over 16 years, I have submitted a public records request to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office for documents related to the Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. This request seeks contracts, board approvals, usage policies, camera locations, performance data, and related correspondence to promote full transparency and public accountability in how this surveillance technology is funded, deployed, and operated with taxpayer resources. By making these records available, we can separate facts from myths, address community concerns about privacy and effectiveness, and ensure informed civic dialogue about tools that impact public safety and individual rights in our rural mountain community.
| from: | Bobby Coggins robertcogginsjr@gmail.com | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| to: |
| ||
| cc: |
| ||
| date: | Jul 11, 2026, 2:13 AM | ||
| subject: | Public Records Request – Flock Safety Cameras / ALPR / License Plate Reader Contract & Related Documents – Macon County Sheriff’s Office | ||
| mailed-by: | gmail.com |
Sheriff’s Office Public Records Custodian,
Pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 132), I request the following records related to Flock Safety (or any automated license plate reader/ALPR system):
- All contracts, agreements, amendments, proposals, invoices, payment records, and correspondence between Macon County Sheriff’s Office (or County) and Flock Safety (or Flock Group, Inc.), including any subscription, installation, maintenance, or data access terms.
- Board of Commissioners agendas, minutes, resolutions, motions, or approvals authorizing the purchase, funding, or use of Flock cameras (including budget line items from FY 2023–2024 onward).
- Policies, procedures, manuals, training materials, or guidelines for use of the Flock system by Sheriff’s Office personnel (including access controls, data retention, audit logs, and privacy protections).
- Any usage statistics, reports, or summaries on camera performance, alerts generated, cases assisted, or data shared (redacted as necessary for law enforcement sensitivity).
- Location list or map of all deployed Flock cameras in Macon County.
- Any privacy impact assessments, legal opinions, or correspondence regarding compliance with NC law or data sharing.
Preferred format: Electronic copies (PDF/email) where possible. I am willing to pay reasonable costs; please notify me in advance if fees will exceed $50.
Please provide these records as soon as practicable. If any portion is denied, please provide a written explanation with the specific legal basis and contact information for appeal.
Thank you for your assistance. I can be reached at robertciogginsjr@gmail.com.
Sincerely, Bobby Coggins, Publisher Macon Media [robertciogginsjr@gmail.com]
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Published at 6:00am on Thusday, July 16, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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