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. Increased convective coverage expected today with some severe thunderstorms. Damaging winds are likely to be the main hazard. Elevated convective coverage continues Monday with a few severe storms. Typical diurnal shower and thunderstorm chances Tuesday, before a cold front brings increased coverage and the potential for more severe weather on Wednesday. ↑ 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....Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
.SUNDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.MONDAY....Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with showers with thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds, becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 90 percent.
.MONDAY NIGHT....Partly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening. Lows in the upper 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.TUESDAY....Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.TUESDAY NIGHT....A chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Lows in the upper 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Scattered showers and thunderstorms possible this afternoon and evening. A few storms may become strong to severe, producing strong gusty winds and localized flooding.
Thunderstorm activity to be more confined to the higher terrain Monday afternoon and evening. Heavy downpours and gusty winds could accompany any storms.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (2.3 out of 12) today with Grasses, Plantain, Chenopods being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (2.3 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 97°F in Franklin in 1986
Lowest Temperature 47°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2009
Greatest Rainfall 3.79 inches in Highlands in 1959
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
Photo ID ballots approved in NC | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC
Reporter Denied Entry At Whatley Campaign Event on Public Property
• Haywood GOP officials bar Citizen Times reporter from Whatley event [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Why Downtown matters. Community conversation with Joe Minicozzi [Macon Sense]
• Asheville Watchdog reporters win top awards for investigations, features, photography [Macon Media]
• Stumped by the dump: Swain grapples with landfill closure, transfer station concerns [Smoky Mountain News]
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NC News
NC farmers say food safety remains top priority amid parasite outbreak ID | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Mass surveillance authorized on NC highways, all other state roads [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Key takeaways from NC auditor’s report on Cary spending and town’s response [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Cooper’s money lead over Whatley continues to grow in NC’s US Senate race [NC Newsline]
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National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir | ABC News
NBC Nightly News Full Episode - July 18 | NBC News
• Trump defends data centers, slams New York's 'terrible' moratorium [USA TODAY]
• MyPillow founder not registered to vote in state he wants to lead [The Seattle Times]
• Trump election speech divides a GOP wary of midterms [The Hill]
• Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushes farther into the US and engulfs DC in haze [AP News]
• Trump administration activates never-before-used 'alien terrorist' deportation court [Yahoo News]
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World News
Black Sea Escalation: Ukraine Shifts Tactics to Target the Dark Fleet | What's Going on With Shipping?
Two US troops killed and one missing in Iran missile attack | BBC News
• Middle East live: US strikes target Revolutionary Guard to 'punish' Iran for killed troops [France 24]
• Iran Update Special Report, July 18, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 18, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Ukrainian drones strike warehouse of Russia's largest online retailer [TVP World]
• Trump shifts his tone on Jimmy Carter while grappling with Iran, inflation and his own legacy [AP News]
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Iran War News
Iran war enters perilous new phase, with more US troops dead | DW News
• Iran Update Special Report, July 18, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: US bombs Iran; Trump says soldiers killed ‘a sad thing’ [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US renews strikes on Iran after two military personnel killed by Iranian attack [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
Did Zelenskyy miscalculate Ukraine’s reshuffle? | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 18, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia kill at least 8, wound dozens [Al Jazeera]
• 1 killed, 8 injured in an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv [AP News]
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Financial News
China AI Selloff, Wildfire Smoke, Trump's Clash With Iran | Bloomberg This Weekend: July 18, 2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Trump may have to choose between an endless quagmire and ceding the Strait of Hormuz to Iran [Fortune Magazine]
• Foreclosures hit highest level since 2019, sparking interest from bargain hunters [Yahoo Finance]
• Taylor Farms recalls iceberg lettuce in 27 states due to cyclosporiasis outbreak [CNBC]
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Science News
A Visitor From the Edge of Galactic History: The Truth About 3I/Atlas | Anton Petrov
• NASA’s Artemis III Lander Test Will be a "Dress Rehearsal" for Returning to the Moon! [Universe Today]
• They were drilling off Oregon. What they found could shake the entire West Coast [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 17 – 26 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
The Great Lunar Boom - Building a Civilization on the Moon | Isaac Arthur
• Google-backed satellites for wildfire detection launch as smoke chokes US, Canada [Ars Technica]
• Flock’s CEO Is Sorry for Calling Privacy Activists ‘Terrorists’ [Gizmodo]
• FIFA World Cup Triggers a Global Anti-Piracy Crackdown [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
We Asked the Universe About Dark Energy Again. It Gave the Same Strange Answer | PBS Space Time
What Would It Cost to Keep The ISS Up? | Q&A 441 | Fraser Cain
Why the Lunar-Mass Primordial Black Hole Discovery Was Just Debunked | Anton Petrov
Nigeria’s mysterious art treasures | DW Documentary
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CRYPTO NEWS
S&P 500: Seasonal Correction Starting in August/September? | Benjamin Cowen
• Three Men Jailed for Posing as Police in $5.3M UK Crypto Fraud [Decrypt]
• French gambling regulator orders ISPs to block Polymarket [Coin Telegraph]
• Trump’s $1.4B Crypto Income Draws Scrutiny as Senate Weighs CLARITY Act [Bitcoin.com]
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Flock Cameras and Constitutional Rights
We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in under 30 Seconds. 🫥 | Benn Jordan
• Brickbat: Unlicensed Search [Reason Magazine]
• Police say Flock cameras help solve crimes, but critics call them an invasion of privacy [PBS 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 Sunday, July 19, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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