sunday
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 few strong to severe thunderstorms again today and Saturday with damaging wind gusts being the main threat, along with isolated flash flooding where storms persist for a few hours.
2. Temperatures will climb back above normal on Sunday, after which it will be hot and humid each day through mid-week. Some locations could have triple digit heat index in the afternoon starting Monday.
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SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
DAY SPONSOR
Macon Media is being underwritten today by Bourbon & Bacon. (Formerly Franklin Office Supply)
Visit their store at 161 Highlands Road in Franklin or check out their website at bourbonandbaconfs.com
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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 this morning. A slight chance of showers this morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds, becoming south around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.TONIGHT...Mostly 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.
.SATURDAY...Areas of fog in the morning. Mostly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 90 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.SUNDAY...Partly sunny. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
a.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 60 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected each afternoon through the weekend. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds will be primary storm threats.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (5.2 out of 12) today with Grasses and Nettle being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-low-medium range (4.4 out of 3.0).
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
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
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 98°F in Highlands in 1930
Lowest Temperature 43°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1950
Greatest Rainfall 3.64 inches in Highlands in 1937
Record weather events for August in Macon County
Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on Aug 9, 1980
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Aug 29, 1968
Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on Aug 13, 1940
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of August
Highest Temperature 110°F Fayetteville, Cumberland County Aug 21, 1983
Lowest Temperature 31°F Banner Elk, Avery County Aug 23, 1930
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 12.43 in Morehead City, Carteret County Aug 12, 1955
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WNC News
Political shifts make NC-11 more competitive than ever | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC
• Learning about night creatures [The Franklin Press]
• Ice cream competition, Jack the Dipper returning to Franklin on Main [Macon Sense]
• North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd pushes to keep federal hemp THC ban on track [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
NC hemp ban bill stalls, giving dispensaries a temporary victory Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC) ]
• Haywood commissioners briefed on emergency flood sirens [Smoky Mountain News]
• In cringeworthy detail, House Ethics panel urges censure of Chuck Edwards for sexual harassment of 2 female staffers [Asheville Watchdog ]
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NC News
NC survey shows fewer fights, weapons in schools; mental health concerns linger | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Inside Historic state Capitol, NC lawmakers commemorate state’s role in US independence [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Here’s how many hurricanes NC could see this year in updated forecast[Raleigh News & Observer]
• ICE says Forest Service requested cooperation in Wilson Creek operation. Here’s how law enforcement in national forests works. [NC Local]
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National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - August 8, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - August 6 | NBC News
Senate Committee Votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress | C-SPAN
Washington Today (8-6-26): Senate Cmte holds Dr. Fauci in contempt for taking Fifth at COVID hearing | C_SPAN
• Trump is resurrecting the Red Scare [UK Telegraph]
• Trump orders limits on birthright citizenship, targets ‘birth tourism’ [The Hill]
• McConnell says he’s leaving rehabilitation center to continue recovery at home [AP News]
• Jeanine Pirro faces the choice many Trump officials confront at one point or another [Yahoo News]
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Interesting Videos
The devil lives in a really weird cave in the Appalachians | TheGeoModels
How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights [NIAC 2026] | Fraser Cain
Janissaries: The Child Levy That Built an Empire | Kings and Generals
Is America prepared for biological war? | PBS NewsHour
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Gold Path for 2026 [Update] | Benjamin Cowen
• Meta Debuts AI Coding Agent Muse: Here’s How It Compares to Claude Code and Codex [Decrypt]
• AI credit bubble could fuel Bitcoin ‘crack-up boom’ past $1M: Hayes [Coin Telegraph]
• Mastercard Closes $1.8B BVNK Deal in Stablecoin Payments Bet [Bitcoin.com]
↑ Back to Top
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
↑ Back to Top
Support Macon Media
• You can now support Macon Media with a $1.99 monthly Facebook subscription at Facebook Subscription
• Become a Patron: patreon.com/MaconMedia
• PayPal: paypal.me/MaconMedia
Published at 6:00am on Friday, August 07, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
font-size: medium;
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 few strong to severe thunderstorms again today and Saturday with damaging wind gusts being the main threat, along with isolated flash flooding where storms persist for a few hours.
2. Temperatures will climb back above normal on Sunday, after which it will be hot and humid each day through mid-week. Some locations could have triple digit heat index in the afternoon starting Monday.
↑ Back to Top
SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
DAY SPONSOR
Macon Media is being underwritten today by Bourbon & Bacon. (Formerly Franklin Office Supply)
Visit their store at 161 Highlands Road in Franklin or check out their website at bourbonandbaconfs.com
↑ Back to Top
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 this morning. A slight chance of showers this morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds, becoming south around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.TONIGHT...Mostly 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.
.SATURDAY...Areas of fog in the morning. Mostly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 90 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.SUNDAY...Partly sunny. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
a.SUNDAY NIGHT...Mostly cloudy with showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 60 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected each afternoon through the weekend. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds will be primary storm threats.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (5.2 out of 12) today with Grasses and Nettle being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-low-medium range (4.4 out of 3.0).
↑ Back to Top
MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
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
To find out more about the Greenway and our organization, our website is: littletennessee.org.
↑ Back to Top
WEATHER ALMANAC
Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)
Highest Temperature 98°F in Highlands in 1930
Lowest Temperature 43°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1950
Greatest Rainfall 3.64 inches in Highlands in 1937
Record weather events for August in Macon County
Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on Aug 9, 1980
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Aug 29, 1968
Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on Aug 13, 1940
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of August
Highest Temperature 110°F Fayetteville, Cumberland County Aug 21, 1983
Lowest Temperature 31°F Banner Elk, Avery County Aug 23, 1930
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 12.43 in Morehead City, Carteret County Aug 12, 1955
↑ Back to Top
WNC News
Political shifts make NC-11 more competitive than ever | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC
• Learning about night creatures [The Franklin Press]
• Ice cream competition, Jack the Dipper returning to Franklin on Main [Macon Sense]
• North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd pushes to keep federal hemp THC ban on track [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
NC hemp ban bill stalls, giving dispensaries a temporary victory Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC) ]
• Haywood commissioners briefed on emergency flood sirens [Smoky Mountain News]
• In cringeworthy detail, House Ethics panel urges censure of Chuck Edwards for sexual harassment of 2 female staffers [Asheville Watchdog ]
↑ Back to Top
NC News
NC survey shows fewer fights, weapons in schools; mental health concerns linger | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Inside Historic state Capitol, NC lawmakers commemorate state’s role in US independence [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Here’s how many hurricanes NC could see this year in updated forecast[Raleigh News & Observer]
• ICE says Forest Service requested cooperation in Wilson Creek operation. Here’s how law enforcement in national forests works. [NC Local]
↑ Back to Top
National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - August 8, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - August 6 | NBC News
Senate Committee Votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress | C-SPAN
Washington Today (8-6-26): Senate Cmte holds Dr. Fauci in contempt for taking Fifth at COVID hearing | C_SPAN
• Trump is resurrecting the Red Scare [UK Telegraph]
• Trump orders limits on birthright citizenship, targets ‘birth tourism’ [The Hill]
• McConnell says he’s leaving rehabilitation center to continue recovery at home [AP News]
• Jeanine Pirro faces the choice many Trump officials confront at one point or another [Yahoo News]
↑ Back to Top
Interesting Videos
The devil lives in a really weird cave in the Appalachians | TheGeoModels
How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights [NIAC 2026] | Fraser Cain
Janissaries: The Child Levy That Built an Empire | Kings and Generals
Is America prepared for biological war? | PBS NewsHour
↑ Back to Top
CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Gold Path for 2026 [Update] | Benjamin Cowen
• Meta Debuts AI Coding Agent Muse: Here’s How It Compares to Claude Code and Codex [Decrypt]
• AI credit bubble could fuel Bitcoin ‘crack-up boom’ past $1M: Hayes [Coin Telegraph]
• Mastercard Closes $1.8B BVNK Deal in Stablecoin Payments Bet [Bitcoin.com]
↑ Back to Top
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
↑ Back to Top
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 [robertcogginsjr@gmail.com]↑ Back to Top
Support Macon Media
• You can now support Macon Media with a $1.99 monthly Facebook subscription at Facebook Subscription
• Become a Patron: patreon.com/MaconMedia
• PayPal: paypal.me/MaconMedia
Published at 6:00am on Friday, August 07, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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