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 expected through the week, with temperatures steadily warming to above normal by mid-week. Rain chances could return as early as Friday, but become more likely over the weekend.
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SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
This space available
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....Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. North winds around 5 mph.
.TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s. Northeast winds around 5 mph.
.TUESDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds.
.TUESDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s. Light and variable winds, becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
.WEDNESDAY....Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Light and variable winds, becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight. Enjoy this briefing preview of fall weather!!!
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (7.1 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium range (6.0 out of 12.0)
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MACON CALENDAR
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
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
Friends of the Greenway would like to invite you to FROG FAIR, our Fall arts & crafts show and music festival on September 19, 2026 from 10-4 at the Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters, 573 E. Main St, Franklin (at the Town bridge). We are providing an outlet for 45 area artists and crafters to showcase their wonderful items for your shopping pleasure! As a fund raiser event for FROG, we collect a vendor registration fee and sell breakfast and lunch items. Area musicians will donate their time and talent throughout the day. Mark your calendar and come enjoy the day. Hope to see you on Sept. 19.
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 89°F in Franklin in 1986
Lowest Temperature 29°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1947
Greatest Rainfall 3.90 inches in Franklin in 1881
Record weather events for September in Macon County
Highest Temperature 98°F in Franklin on Sep 4, 1975
Lowest Temperature 27°F in Franklin on Sep 30, 1967
Greatest Rainfall 11.87 inches in Highlands on Sep 29, 1964
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of September
Highest Temperature 108°F Belhaven, Beaufort County Sep 25, 1921
Lowest Temperature 23°F Marion, McDowell County Sep 28, 2000
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.04 in Elizabethtown, Bladen County Sep 30, 2018
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WNC News
Daughter remembers her mother who disappeared 2 years ago during Helene | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Gov. Josh Stein tours Chimney Rock recovery, cites $5.5M grant for businesses [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Tropical Storm Helene devastated Asheville 2 years ago. See our most harrowing images [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Meet Sports Editor Dylan Branscome [The Franklin Press]
• Companies, local leaders clarify landline phase-out. What you need to know [Macon Sense]
• Tropical Storm Helene, two years later [Asheville Watchdog ]
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NC News
Inflation weighs on families as former Gov. Roy Cooper campaigns in Raleigh | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
• NC 12: Repair or rebuild? NC 12’s future could carry a $1 billion price tag [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Cooper urges scrutiny of tax amendments and calls for tariffs rollback, end to Iran war [Raleigh News & Observer]
• Purple Primer: Your Guide to the 2026 Elections in North Carolina [NC Local]
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National News
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir - Sept. 27, 2026 | ABC News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode - Sept. 27 | NBC News
"A Pox on Fools" The History of Vaccine Skepticism | C-SPAN
• Cook Political Report founder: House is a ‘done deal’ for Democrats, reclaiming Senate ‘very realistic’ [The Hill]
• Trump asked China’s president if he wants to buy US arms, ambassador says [AP News]
• DHS announces nationwide surge in ‘sanctuary’ cities Yahoo News]
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World News
Inside the 2026 Tanker War: Hormuz Strikes, Soaring Rates & Diesel Shortages | What's Going on With Shipping?
Examining ‘white genocide’ claims in South Africa | BBC News
• Defense minister vows 'corresponding measures' if DMZ blast confirmed caused by N.K. mines [Yonhap News Agency]
• Pope Leo to speak on EU integration from French border town of Metz [France 24]
• US troops must prepare to fight around the moon, Trump’s top military adviser says [AP News]
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Iran War News
What's behind anti-terror arrests near UK airbase? | DW News
• Iran Update, September 27, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Tehran open to ‘real diplomacy’, ready for ‘apocalyptic war’ [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US denies Iranian reports of captured submarine, explosions reportedly heard in Jordan, Iraq [Jerusalem Post]
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Russo-Ukraine War
Germany and Russia hold first high-level talks since full-scale Ukraine invasion | DW News
Deadly barrage hits Ukraine as Moscow keeps up attacks | World News Tonight | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 27, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Russian strikes kill eight, injure dozens across Ukraine [Al Jazeera]
• Russian and Ukrainian strikes leave 10 dead as Trump calls on Zelenskyy to ‘settle with Putin’ [AP News]
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Financial News
Inside China’s Race To Build The World’s Data Centers | CNBC
Bond Slide Resumes As Middle East Tensions Boost Oil | The Asia Trade 9/28/2026 | Bloomberg Television
• Here’s the List of Goods the US, China Agreed on for Tariff Cuts [Yahoo Finance]
• Brent gains 2.7% as Trump rejects Iranian proposal to reopen Hormuz Strait [CNBC]
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Science News
Quantum Immortality Explained | Kyle Hill
• Scientists spot a new crater on the Moon [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1360: Clinical Update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1361: Ancient Viral Sword and Shield [Microbe TV]
• Astronomers Couldn't Explain This Ancient Star's Chemistry. A Lab Experiment Just Did. [Universe Today]
• Is the universe infinite? The answer gets weird fast [ScienceDaily]
• This Week's Sky at a Glance, September 25 – October 2 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
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Technology News
The pros and cons of using a digital wallet | Engadget
• Trump admin using AI to deny medical care for seniors in disastrous experiment [Ars Technica]
• Bill Gates Suggests He’s the Man to Convince Donald Trump to Regulate AI [Gizmodo]
• Nintendo Wins $4.5 Million Judgment Against r/SwitchPirates Mod ‘Archbox’ [Torrent Freaks]
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Interesting Videos
Skanderbeg’s 25-Year War Against the Ottomans - All Battles EXPLAINED | Kings and Generals
The Closest Thing We Have to Alien Technology | Veritasium
This Explosion Formed One of the Strongest Magnets in the Universe | Astrum
How One Man Destroyed America | Volksgeist
Turns Out, Superflares Are Quite Possible for Our Sun | Fraser Cain
How Early America (almost) Became a Dictatorship | Repeating History
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CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Bitcoin: A Critical Moment | Benjamin Cowen
Passive Investing Is BREAKING The Market (Here’s What Happens Next) | Coin Bureau
• AI Agents Keep Escaping Their Creators' Control—Here's What We Know [Decrypt]
• Saylor outlines ‘bill of digital rights’ to help build prosperity in future economy [Coin Telegraph]
• Discover How 20 Million Russians Tap Into Over $43B in Cryptocurrency [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: |
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| 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 Monday, September 28, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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