ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Back to School Safety Tips for the 2026-2027 School Year [Macon Media]
• 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. Dry weather with comfortable humidity levels will continue through Tuesday. Then humidity increases along with daily shower and thunderstorm chances returning Wednesday and continuing through the rest of the week.
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SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
DAY SPONSOR
Young Tree Service is sponsoring Macon Media for today.
They provide complete tree care, are licensed and insured. Specializing in low ground impact. Danger tree removal. Crane Service, Pruning, Views, 24 hr emergency service. Call 828-421-0967 for more information.
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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....Sunny. Highs around 80. Northwest winds around 5 mph. .MONDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. North winds around 5 mph.
.TUESDAY....Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds, becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
.TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s. South winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.
.WEDNESDAY....Mostly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT....A chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Other than patchy dense fog near bodies of water this morning, hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be n the medium-high (9.0 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium-high range (8.6 out of 12.0)
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
IMAGE
CULLASAJA GORGE FIRE AND RESCUE
New Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593295280100
All are welcome for an Open House on Aug 29th.
Hotdog dinner for donations only.
Come out to see the Firehouse with kid-friendly activities
and a state-of-the-art smoke trailer.
9 AM – 7 PM on 29th of August
3 PM VEHICLE TRAINING DEMO
HOTDOG DINNER ALL DAY
(828) 369-5010
104 River Rd
Franklin, NC 28734
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 95°F in Franklin in 1983
Lowest Temperature 43°F in Highlands in 1930
Greatest Rainfall 2.50 inches in Highlands in 1961
Record weather events for July 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
• Back to School Safety Tips for the 2026-2027 School Year [Macon Media]
Public input sought on Roadless Rule | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Magnitude 2.0 earthquake recorded near Weaverville Sunday [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• From her mother’s care to the statehouse: Pat Hedrick’s mission for seniors [Macon Sense]
• Roy Cooper visits WNC for ‘Make Stuff Cost Less’ event. Our best photos [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• SCC program removes barriers to entry into health care [Smoky Mountain News]
• Global finance leaders to descend on Asheville for G20 summit [Asheville Watchdog ]
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NC News
Hundreds celebrate Ukraine's Independence Day in Raleigh | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• Who would control the cannabis market in NC? ABC joins debate [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• School year in NC starts with new raises for teachers because of state budget [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Surging book demand leaves NC libraries struggling with long waitlists, pricey content [NC Local]
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National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - Aug. 23, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News Full Episode - August 23 | NBC News
President Trump Takes a Lap | C-SPAN
• Johnson: Kushner ‘not directly involved’ in Trump administration after reported meeting with Jeffries [The Hill]
• Trump announces plan to lower beef prices, but ranchers and some Republicans are already balking [AP News]
• ‘Damage from the chaotic tariff regime cannot be refunded’: The $100 billion in refunds have wiped out revenue the import taxes brought in since May [Yahoo News]
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World News
South Korea sends first container ship through Northern Sea Route | DW News
China’s plans for Taiwan and vision for the future: Zo Bhou and Sreenivasan Jain | A Changing World? | AL Jazeera
• N. Korea warns of 'self-defense' measures despite Trump's order to reduce drills with S. Korea [Yonhap News Agency]
• DR Congo, AFC/M23 group agree on roadmap for peace negotiations after Swiss talks [France 24]
• Carney warned about economic coercion. Now Trump is testing the Canadian prime minister [AP News]
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Iran War News
Can Iran survive Trump's new sanctions? | DW News
• Iran Update, August 21, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: US vows ‘economic D-Day’; Tehran threatens Gulf oil exports [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US treasury secretary says economic D-day against Iran 'begins at dawn,' IDF strikes Lebanon [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
How Ukraine and Russia Fight in 2026 - Battlefield Dynamics with Dmytro Putiata & Rob Lee | Perun
Germany to supply Ukraine with 600 Patriot interceptors | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 23, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Zelenskyy says wartime elections could ‘destroy’ Ukraine [Al Jazeera]
• Zelenskyy details rift with Ukraine’s dismissed Defense Minister Fedorov [AP News]
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Financial News
Canada Braces for Lengthy Trade Standoff With the US | Insight with Haslinda Amin 8/24/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Quote of the day by Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel: 'Anyone that has a monopoly will pretend that they're in incredible competition' — exposing how tech titans bend the market in their favour [Yahoo Finance]
• Oil prices fall as investors await ‘toughest’ U.S. sanctions on Iran [CNBC]
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Science News
Scientists Find Evidence That Life on Earth Had Two Separate Origins | Anton Petrov
• World’s largest solar telescope reveals the Sun’s hidden texture [Astronomy Magazine]
• Astronomers Use Rare Ultra-Magnetic Star to Crack a Quantum Mystery [Universe Today]
• NASA is about to launch a powerful new eye on the universe [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, August 21 – 30 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
This Week in Linux #354 | Michael Tunnell
• As demand for Meta AI glasses explodes, it’s harder to avoid creepy recordings [Ars Technica]
• Dr. Dre Says He Uses AI to Produce Songs [Gizmodo]
• Take-Two Expands GTA 6 Leak Hunt With DMCA Subpoenas to X and YouTube [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Sad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars | Fraser Cain
How I'd Roll Out AI in Any Business (Exact 4-Stage Framework) |T-Minus365
A New Bizarre Possibility Regarding Primordial Black Holes | John Michael Godier
How They Did It - Roman Corporations (DOCUMENTARY) | Invicta
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Ethereum: Dubious Speculation | Benjamin Cowen
Bitcoin VS Gold in 2026 | Coin Bureau
• Robot Brains Could Have Their ‘ChatGPT Moment’ by 2027, ACE Robotics Chairman Says [Decrypt]
• Pakistan opens crypto licensing portal, sets Sept. 5 deadline for existing firms [Coin Telegraph]
• Clarity Act Won't Save US Treasury Debt Market, Analyst Warns [Bitcoin.com]
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Flock Cameras and Constitutional Rights
Flock Cameras Are Not Even the Worst Part of the System | TREX LABS
• 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, August 23, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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