Second Minor Earthquake in 48 Hours Strikes Haywood County

According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), a minor earthquake of 2.4 magnitude struck Haywood County in the Beaverdam Township on Thursday evening just before 6.30pm. It was initially reported as 3.1, but a review by a seismologist resulted in a downgrade of the intensity.

The epicenter was located 40.42 miles to the northeast of the Macon County Courthouse and was 2.11 miles east northeast of the magnitude 2.6 earthquake that struck just before 7.30 pm on Tuesday, the 23rd of May. [LINK] 

 Earthquakes of this magnitude occur perhaps three or four times a typical year within a hundred-mile radius of Macon County.

IMAGE WILL BE ADDED FRIDAY MORNING

As of 8.00pm, 6 people in Haywood County reported to the USGS that they felt it it, and one in Lousville, Kentucky claimed to have felt it. If you felt it, you can fill out a survey on the USGS website [LINK]. The information will assist geologists in studying earthquakes in our region. You have until May 31, 2024, to report your experience. This section will be updated on Friday morning as more people report on this event.



DAY SPONSOR

Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Health and Fitness, home of #ResultsForEveryone. Try FHF with a FREE 3-Day Guest Pass! To claim your pass, and to learn more about Franklin Health and Fitness, visit franklinhealthandfitness.com.

Published at 8.00pm on Thursday, May 25, 2023 by Bobby Coggins for MaconMedia.com

Read More

Minor Earthquake in Haywood County

According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), a minor earthquake of 2.6 magnitude struck Haywood County on Tuesday evening just before 7.30pm. The epicenter was located 38.51 miles to the northeast of the Macon County Courthouse. Earthquakes of this magnitude occur perhaps three or four times a typical year within a hundred-mile radius of Macon County.

As of 10.00pm, 124 people reported to the USGS they had felt the quake. If you felt it, you can fill out a survey on the USGS website [LINK]. The information will assist geologists in studying earthquakes in our region. You have until May 31, 2024, to report your experience.

DAY SPONSOR

Macon Media is being underwritten today by Nature Tamers of North Carolina.

Grading • View Cutting
Water Abatement • Foundations
Plumbing • Construction Repair


Call 828-507-2735

Read More

Congressman Cawthorn Holds Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assitance

On Thursday, September 23, 2021,Congressman Madison Cawthorn held a Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assistance with representatives of four of the agencies assisting the victims of the recent flooding event due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred that caused extensive flooding in Haywood, Buncombe, and Transylvania Counties on August 17th. A federal disaster was declared on September 17th that allowed federal resources and funds to be used in recovery efforts. If you have problems with getting assistance, contact Madison Cawthorn's office at https://cawthorn.house.gov/contact  or at at one of the following office locations:

Washington DC Office
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6401

Hendersonville District Office
200 North Grove Street
Suite 121
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 435-7310

Burnsville District Office
113 Green Mountain Drive
Burnsville, NC 28714
Phone: (828) 808-2148

Franklin District Office
5 West Main Street, Office 330
Franklin, NC 28734
Phone: (828) 452-6022

Waynesville District Office
285 N. Main Street, Room 1300
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 452-6022

The participants in the virtual roundtable were,

Joe Stanton, NC Dept of Public Safety, Emergency Management;
John Boyle, Federal coordinating Officer from FEMA; Contact Info (800) 621-3362 or www.disasterassistance.gov
Kathy Cook, Small Business Administration; and
Rob Satterfield of the USDA Farm Service Agency.

The roundtable can be viewed on the video player embedded below:

Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assistance





Support Macon Media

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.



Become a Patron!


Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia

Author: Bobby Coggins
Published at 12:45am on Friday, September 24, 2021

Read More

Governor Cooper Requests Federal Major Disaster Declaration for Western Counties after Tropical Storm Fred

PRESS RELEASE (08-27-2021)
NC GOVERNOR

Today, Governor Roy Cooper requested that President Biden issue a federal major disaster declaration following Tropical Storm Fred for western North Carolina counties that suffered extensive damages from flooding and landslides.

“The people of Western North Carolina took a devastating blow from Tropical Storm Fred’s flooding,” said Gov. Cooper. “Federal assistance is needed to help rebuild and become more resilient ahead of future storms.” 

The Governor requested the Individual Assistance program to support homeowners and renters in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties and the Public Assistance program to reimburse costs for repairs to public facilities and infrastructure in Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Transylvania, Yancey and Watauga counties.

If granted, the Individual Assistance program provides financial assistance and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by disaster.

Public Assistance provides reimbursement to local governments and publicly-owned utilities for the costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations.

Five people died as a result of the storm and one person remains missing. Damage assessment is still underway, but so far damages are estimated to exceed $20 million to infrastructure alone across the western counties.

Read the Governor’s request letter HERE

Read More

Rock Wall Repair Requires U.S. 19/23 East Closure Eastbound detour starts Monday, westbound to remain open

— Photo courtesy Canton Police Department via NC Dept of Transportation

 CANTON – A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation will use an accelerated plan to replace the retaining wall on U.S. 19/23 in Haywood County damaged by Tropical Storm Fred.

The eastbound lane will be closed starting Monday from Canton to the Buncombe County line to expedite the wall repairs, which will take up to three weeks. Local traffic will have access to locations east of the construction area from Wiggins Road.

Eastbound drivers passing through Haywood County will be detoured onto Bridge Street, Champion Drive (N.C. 215) and Interstate 40. Drivers may then exit I-40 at Wiggins Road (Exit 37) to access U.S. 19/23 (Smoky Park Highway) and drive in either direction. 

The westbound lane of U.S. 19/23 will remain open while the wall is replaced. Drivers should slow down and be alert for workers.

Crews from GeoStabilization International will build a soil-nail wall to replace the rock gravity retaining wall that fell onto the highway during the downpours of Aug. 17. The equipment and physical space required to construct the repairs necessitate closing the eastbound lane. 

“This is one of more than 150 sites that need some sort of repair from Fred,” Division 14 Maintenance Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “Replacing the wall and reopening the highway is near the top of our priority list for safety as well as connecting Haywood and Buncombe counties.”

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

Read More

Weather Briefing for Tuesday, July 6, 2021

OUTLOOK

Continued warmer and more humid conditions are expected today. Rain chances will increase more sharply Wednesday through Thursday, as a trough of low pressure approaches from the west, and moisture from Tropical Cyclone Elsa possibly passes through or near the region. An active mid-summertime pattern will develop by the weekend as the synoptic pattern becomes more amplified with a chance for showers and thunderstorms each day by this weekend and into the early part of next week.


---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---



Weather Sponsor



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.


--- END SPONSOR SEGMENT---


Local News Update
(National News is published after the Macon Calendar section)

Drake Software opening Waynesville call center [The Mountaineer]

2021 Fireworks Display in Franklin, NC [LINK]

Bob Scott Announces Retirement

PRESS RELEASE (07-06-2021) BOB SCOTT, MAYOR OF FRANKLIN

It’s time for me to pack up my bust of Harry Truman and my “No Sniveling” desk plaque and move on. I will not be seeking a fifth term as mayor.

Most politicians bow out saying “to spend more time with family.” Which is code for getting out before an indictment or a scandal breaks. Not me. I am just too darn old. Franklin needs a new mayor.

I would have run again, but Council Member Jack Horton has filed to run for mayor. Jack is qualified and well known across the state. I can leave knowing that if elected, Franklin will be in good hands with Jack.

I will be gone in three months from Town Hall. I will leave knowing I had little support from some other politicians in trying to save our hospital from a for profit company. A huge disappointment. There were other ideas I had which were blocked, for whatever reason, in the last two terms I have served.

I do hope to get the skate park in place. Turn the Sunnyside property into public use with recreation facilities, and use federal relief funds to improve our infrastructure.

I campaigned on open government. In my four terms, the town got away from being a “who you know” town. It is now a “what you know” town. We have professionalized Franklin’s government. We are a town we can all be proud of. Our employees deserve the credit. Not me.

We have had very few closed meetings during my time as mayor. My philosophy has been one of instead of finding a reason to go behind closed doors find a reason to keep the doors open. I always have believed the mayor and town council exists for only one reason. To conduct the public’s business.

I hope the Town Council will keep working to preserve the fascination which makes Franklin a delightful place in which to live and work.

The toughest year of my service has been the year of the pandemic. Mayors across the nation became the lightning rod for anger and frustration. I certainly was. On social media I was called unique expletives I did not know existed. But on the other hand, I have had folks who understood town government. There was more support than anger. In looking back, I adopted the understanding that people were angry, scared and facing hardships. As mayor, I was a convenient politician to jump on. I was accessible. I answer my phone. You can catch me ambling along our sidewalks.

I do have some future plans. I have hobbies I have neglected. I will return to writing and photography. America is in serious danger as Democracy is in peril. I will find some way to express my contempt of authoritarianism.

Please never allow Franklin to become partisan. We are just fine as a non-partisan unit. Please fight to keep it non-partisan from those who want to change it for political power.

Does anyone have a small backhoe I can borrow to clean out my office? I need it by the first Tuesday in November. It has been a hoot to serve as mayor. My high school teachers would be astounded.

Mayor Bob Scott Town of Franklin, NC

Vet's Portrait Project for 2021 

 The Macon County Art Association in Franklin is pleased to announce that the Vet’s Portrait Project will be held this year. This will be our ninth year for this event. Unfortunately the pandemic precluded the project last year but the artists are ready to go for 2021. This year there are spots for 4-7 veterans as we had applications remaining from 2019. Please announce the call for Macon County Veterans or their family members to apply to have the Veteran’s portrait painted by one of our local artists. Vets or their families may apply at the gallery between Memorial Day and July 4th of this year. There is no cost to apply or for the portraits. The only requirement is that the Veteran or their family member be present to receive the portrait on Veterans Day November 11, 2021. Community members who wish to help support the costs for this program are also welcome. Contact the project chair by email at karen@programservices.org.

NC Dept of Justice Releases May 2021 Highlights [LINK]


National Weather Map for Today

General forecast through Wednesday Night


Franklin area

Today

Areas of fog before midmorning. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. Light and variable winds.

Tuesday Night

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Partly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 60s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 20%.

Wednesday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the low-to-mid 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain is 60%.

Thursday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain is 80%.

Thursday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9pm, then a chance of showers between 9pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Chance of rain is 60%.

Highlands Plateau

Today

Sunny, with highs in the upper 70s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a slight chance of showers between 11pm and 2am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 60. Light winds out of the south. Chance of rain is 20%.

Wednesday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the low-to-mid 70s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 60. Winds out of the northeast 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.

Thursday

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely before midafternoon, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of rain is 80%.

Thursday Night

Showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then a chance of showers between 2am and 5am. Lows around 60. Chance of rain is 80%.

Otto area

Today

Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-80s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

Isolated showers before 1am, then a slight chance of showers after 2am. Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 20%.

Wednesday

A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11am. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with highs near 80. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 60%.

Thursday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Highs near 80. Chance of rain is 80%.

Thursday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9pm, then a chance of showers between 9pm and 4am. Mostly cloudy, with lows around 65. Chance of rain is 60%.

Nantahala area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 80s. Calm winds becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

Isolated showers between 7pm and 8pm. Partly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 20%.

Wednesday

A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11am. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 70s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 60%.

Thursday

Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Highs in the mid-70s. Chance of rain is 80%.

Thursday Night

Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10pm, then a chance of showers between 10pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Chance of rain is 60%.

HAZARDS

Hazardous Weather is not anticipated today.

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
800 PM EDT Mon Jul 5 2021

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Elsa, located over west-central Cuba.

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 5 days.


b>TROPICAL TIDBITS

Tropical Tidbits is a website run by Macon Media's favorite no-nonsense tropical forecaster, Levi Cowan. He does not post material just to get clicks or to sensationalize the storms he covers to "make them more exciting." He is reliable and sober, unlike The Weather Channel crowd of Drama Queen Meteorologists.

Levi typically posts videos late in the afternoon or early before midnight on Youtube. [Youtube Channel]

Elsa to Cross Cuba During Late Monday, Approach Florida on Tuesday (recorded July 5th)

Tropical Storm Elsa Discussion Number 23
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052021
1100 PM EDT Mon Jul 05 2021

Radar data from Cuba and Key West, Florida, along with surface observations, indicate that the center of Elsa is back over water, having emerged off the northern coast of of Cuba around 0200 UTC. Doppler velocity data from the NOAA WSR-88D at Key West indicate values of around 55 t at 10,000 ft, which supports equivalent surface winds of 49 kt. An Air Force reconnaissance aircraft flying just offshore the north coast of Cuba over deep water measured reliable SFMR surface winds of at least 50 kt. Based on these data, the intensity has been increased to 50 kt.

The initial motion estimate is 330/10 kt. Just like over the past three days, no significant changes have been made to the previous track forecast or synoptic reasoning. Elsa is now moving north-northwestward around the southwestern periphery of a deep-layer ridge whose axis extends westward across the Atlantic to central Florida. The cyclone should gradually move around the ridge over the next 36 hours, turning northward on Tuesday and then north-northeastward Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. By late Wednesday, Elsa should accelerate northeastward ahead of a mid-latitude trough and frontal system, moving across the eastern United States to near Atlantic Canada. The new NHC track forecast is very similar to the previous advisory track, but was nudged slightly eastward due to the more eastward initial position, and lies a tad east of of the various tightly clustered track consensus models.

Some additional strengthening is expected over the next 36 hours, with some of the SHIPS and global models showing Elsa possibly reaching 60 kt just before landfall along the northwestern Florida peninsula. This would typically require a Hurricane Watch for a small portion of northwest Florida. However, given that Elsa has been hugging a very tight mid-level moisture gradient -- a condition that is expected to continue until landfall occurs in about 36 hours -- the new official intensity forecast remains similar to the previous advisory and holds the peak intensity at 55 kt due to expected intermittent dry-air intrusions. Subsequent NHC forecasts can assess the new reconnaissance and model data that will be coming in later tonight, and determine if an increase in the intensity forecast and the issuance of a hurricane watch or warning is required. By 96 hours, the global models suggest that the cyclone will merge with a frontal zone, so the new intensity forecast continues to shows extratropical transition at that time.

Key Messages:

1. Heavy rain will impact the Cayman Islands and Cuba tonight resulting in significant flooding and mudslides over Cuba. As Elsa approaches the Florida Keys, Florida Peninsula, and southeast Georgia through Wednesday, heavy rainfall may result in isolated flash, urban, and minor river flooding, with considerable flooding possible in southwest and western portions of Florida. Mid to late week, heavy rains across coastal South Carolina, North Carolina, and southeastern Virginia may result in isolated flash and urban flooding.

2. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the west coast of Florida Tuesday night and Wednesday, and a Storm Surge Warning has been issued for that area.

3. Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue across portions of central and western Cuba tonight, and spread northward across portions of the Florida Keys and the Florida west coast through Wednesday, where a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect.

4. There is a risk of tropical storm conditions along portions of the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday and Thursday.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 06/0300Z 23.5N 82.3W 50 KT 60 MPH
12H 06/1200Z 24.9N 82.9W 55 KT 65 MPH
24H 07/0000Z 26.9N 83.3W 55 KT 65 MPH
36H 07/1200Z 29.2N 83.1W 55 KT 65 MPH
48H 08/0000Z 31.6N 82.0W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
60H 08/1200Z 34.0N 79.8W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
72H 09/0000Z 36.9N 76.1W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
96H 10/0000Z 43.3N 66.0W 40 KT 45 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
120H 11/0000Z 50.5N 52.4W 40 KT 45 MPH...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP



Air Quality

Air quality is in the middle range of yellow for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the middle range of yellow.

Fire and Smoke Map
(There are no significant sources of smoke in the region as of 3am on 04-22-2021.)

Pollen

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.1 out of 12) today with Grasses, Plantain, and Dock being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (2.4 out of 12).


Weather Extremes for Macon County on July 6th


Highest Temperature 93°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2012
Lowest Temperature 45°F in Highlands in 1915
Greatest Rainfall 4.00 inches in Nantahala in 1959
Greatest Snowfall (No snowfall recorded on this date since records started being kept in 1872)

July Weather Extremes for Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on 07-29-1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on 07-27-1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on 07-29-1879
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1872

Macon Calendar

The Macon County Art Association (a not for profit member organization) is offering classes in encaustic painting on Specified Fridays from 10AM-12PM at the Uptown Gallery 30 E Main St Franklin NC. Specific class dates are Friday July 9 and 23, August 3 and 27, September 3 and 17, October 29.

For more information contact the instructor, Karen Smith, at karen@programservices.org

National News Update

Level1 News July 6 2021: Polish Prez Pilloried, Police Pull In Pupils



WeatherBrains #807



National Mall fireworks in Washington DC celebrates July 4th | WUSA-TV



PBS NewsHour full episode, July 5, 2021



On This Day

July 6th is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 178 days remain until the end of the year.



Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)


371 BC – The Battle of Leuctra shatters Sparta's reputation of military invincibility.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Leuctra]
• [The Battle of Leuctra 371 BC]

640 – Battle of Heliopolis: The Muslim Arab army under 'Amr ibn al-'As defeat the Byzantine forces near Heliopolis (Egypt).
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Heliopolis]
• [Muslim Conquest of Egypt 640 - Battles of Babylon and Heliopolis]

1253 – Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
• [Wikipedia Bio: Mindaugus]

1348 – Pope Clement VI issues a papal bull protecting the Jews accused of having caused the Black Death.

1411 – Ming China's Admiral Zheng He returns to Nanjing after the third treasure voyage and presents the Sinhalese king, captured during the Ming–Kotte War, to the Yongle Emperor.
• [Wikipedia: third treasure voyage]
• [Wikipedia Bio: Zheng He]
• [Zheng He's Floating City: When China Dominated the Oceans]
• [How China Could Have Conquered The World | When China Ruled The Waves | Timeline]

1415 – Jan Hus is condemned by the assembly of the council in the Konstanz Cathedral as a heretic and sentenced to be burned at the stake. (See Deaths section.)
• [Wikipedia Bio: Jan Hus]

1438 – A temporary compromise between the rebellious Transylvanian peasants and the noblemen is signed in Kolozsmonostor Abbey.

1483 – Richard III is crowned King of England.
• [Wikipedia Bio: Richard III]
• [Was Richard III Really Britain's Worst Tyrant King? | Richard III: Fact Or Fiction | Timeline]
• [Richard III - The Archaeological Dig]

1484 – Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of the Congo River.
• [Wikipedia Bio: Diogo Cão]

1495 – First Italian War: Battle of Fornovo: Charles VIII defeats the Holy League.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Fornovo]
• [Wikipedia: First Italian War/a>]
• [Italian Wars 3/10 - The Battle of Fornovo 1495]

1535 – Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII of England.
• [Wikipedia Bio: Thomas More]

1557 – King Philip II of Spain, consort of Queen Mary I of England, sets out from Dover to war with France, which eventually resulted in the loss of the City of Calais, the last English possession on the continent, and Mary I never seeing her husband again.
• [Wikipedia Bio: King Philip II of Spain]
• [Wikipedia Bio: Queen Mary I of England]

1560 – The Treaty of Edinburgh is signed by Scotland and England.
• [Wikipedia: Treaty of Edinburgh]

1573 – Córdoba, Argentina, is founded by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera.

1573 – French Wars of Religion: Siege of La Rochelle ends.
• [Wikipedia: Siege of La Rochelle]
• [Wikipedia: French Wars of Religion]

1614 – Raid on Żejtun: The south east of Malta, and the town of Żejtun, suffer a raid from Ottoman forces. This was the last unsuccessful attempt by the Ottomans to conquer the island of Malta.
• [Wikipedia: Żejtun]

1630 – Thirty Years' War: Four thousand Swedish troops under Gustavus Adolphus land in Pomerania, Germany.
• [Wikipedia: Thirty Years' War]
• [Wikipewdia Bio: Gustavus Adolphus]
• [Why the Thirty Years' War Was So Devastating - European Wars of Religion]

1685 – Battle of Sedgemoor: Last battle of the Monmouth Rebellion. Troops of King James II defeat troops of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth.
• [Battle of Sedgemoor]
• [Monmouth Rebellion]
• [LINKTEXT]

1751 – Pope Benedict XIV suppresses the Patriarchate of Aquileia and establishes from its territory the Archdiocese of Udine and Gorizia.
• [Patriarchate of Aquileia]

1777 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Ticonderoga: After a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
• [Siege of Fort Ticonderoga]
• [Fort Ticonderoga: The Revolutionary War in Four Minutes] (American Battlefield Trust)

1779 – Battle of Grenada: The French defeat British naval forces during the American Revolutionary War.
• [Battle of Grenada]

1801 – First Battle of Algeciras: Outnumbered French Navy ships defeat the Royal Navy in the fortified Spanish port of Algeciras.
• [First Battle of Algeciras]

1809 – The second day of the Battle of Wagram; France defeats the Austrian army in the largest battle to date of the Napoleonic Wars.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Wagram]
• [Wikipedia: War of the Fifth Coalition]
• [Napoleon's Revenge: Wagram 1809]

1854 – In Jackson, Michigan, the first convention of the United States Republican Party is held.

1885 – Louis Pasteur successfully tests his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.

1887 – David Kalākaua, monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii, is forced to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which transfers much of the king's authority to the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

1892 – Three thousand eight hundred striking steelworkers engage in a day-long battle with Pinkerton agents during the Homestead Strike, leaving ten dead and dozens wounded.

1917 – World War I: Arabian troops led by T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and Auda ibu Tayi capture Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire during the Arab Revolt.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Aqaba]
• [T.E. Lawrence And How He Became Lawrence Of Arabia I WHO DID WHAT IN WW1?]
• [Lawrence of Arabia (5/8) Movie CLIP - Attack on Aqaba (1962) ] (movie dramatization)

1918 – The Left SR uprising in Russia starts with the assassination of German ambassador Wilhelm von Mirbach by Cheka members.
• [Left SR uprising]
• [The Other Russian Revolutionary Parties: Kadets, Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries (SRs)]

1919 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.
• [dirigible R34 ]
• [R34 First Round Trip]

1933 – The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago's Comiskey Park. The American League defeated the National League 4–2.

1936 – A major breach of the Manchester Bolton & Bury Canal in England sends millions of gallons of water cascading 200 feet (61 m) into the River Irwell.

1937 – Spanish Civil War: Battle of Brunete: The battle begins with Spanish Republican troops going on the offensive against the Nationalists to relieve pressure on Madrid.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Brunete]
• [Great Battles of the Spanish Civil War - Ep.8 - the Battle of Brunete] (English subtitles)
• [Ten Minute History - The Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco (Short Documentary)]

1939 – Anti-Jewish legislation in prewar Nazi Germany closes the last remaining Jewish enterprises.
• [Wikipedia: Anti-Jewish legislation in pre-war Nazi Germany]
• [The Path to Nazi Genocide]

1940 – Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia's longest cantilever bridge is formally opened.
• [Wikipedia: Story Bridge]
• [Silent Newsreel]
• [Drone Footage Shot at Night]

1941 – World War II: The German army launches its offensive to encircle several Soviet armies near Smolensk.
• [Battle of Smolensk (1941)]
• [Barbarossa Visualized: The Battle of Smolensk [July 1941] [Episode 5]]

1942 – Anne Frank and her family go into hiding in the "Secret Annexe" above her father's office in an Amsterdam warehouse.

1944 – Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court-martial.
• [Wikipedia: Jackie Robinson]
• [Jackie Robinson Clip: 1944 Court-Martial]

1944 – The Hartford circus fire, one of America's worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.
• [Wikipedia: Hartford circus fire]
• [The Hartford Circus Fire | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror ]

1947 – Referendum held in Sylhet to decide its fate in the Partition of India.

1947 – The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.
• [Wikipedia: AK-47]
• [Developmental History of the AK with Max Popenker]
• [Russia Today: Legendary Kalashnikov - Story of AK-47 Rifle]

1957 – Althea Gibson wins the Wimbledon championships, becoming the first black athlete to do so.

1957 – John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.

1962 – As a part of Operation Plowshare, the Sedan nuclear test takes place.
• [Wikipedia: Operation Plowshare]
• [Wikipedia: Storax Sedan]
• [The largest human-made crater in the Mainland United States Project Sedan 104Kt]
• [Why Apollo Astronauts Trained in Nuclear Bomb Craters]

1962 – The Late Late Show, the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, airs on RTÉ One for the first time.

1964 – Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.

1966 – Malawi becomes a republic, with Hastings Banda as its first President.

1967 – Nigerian Civil War: Nigerian forces invade Biafra, beginning the war.
• [Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil War]
• [Nigeria's civil war explained - BBC News]
• [An Honest Explanation of the Nigerian Civil War | The Biafran Story]

1975 – The Comoros declares independence from France.

1986 – Davis Phinney becomes the first American cyclist to win a road stage of the Tour de France.

1988 – The Piper Alpha drilling platform in the North Sea is destroyed by explosions and fires. One hundred sixty-seven oil workers are killed, making it the world's worst offshore oil disaster in terms of direct loss of life.
• [Wikipedia: Piper Alpha]
• [A Brief History of: The Piper Alpha Oil Rig Disaster (Short Documentary)]
• [Explosion in the North Sea (Piper Alpha)]

1989 – The Tel Aviv–Jerusalem bus 405 suicide attack: Sixteen bus passengers are killed when a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took control of the bus and drove it over a cliff.
• [Wikipedia: bus 405 suicide attack]

1990 – The Electronic Frontier Foundation is founded.
• [Wikipedia: Electronic Frontier Foundation]
• [Elliot Harmon | The Electronic Frontier Foundation]
• [Official Youtube Channel]

1995 – In the Bosnian War, under the command of General Ratko Mladić, Serbia begins its attack on the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
• [Wikipedia: Bosnian War]
• [Wikipedia Bio: Ratko Mladić]
• [Ratko Mladic disrupts court with angry outburst, gets life sentence for war crimes]
• [Yugoslav Wars | 3 Minute History]

1996 – A McDonnell Douglas MD-88 operating as Delta Air Lines Flight 1288 experiences a turbine engine failure during take off from Pensacola International Airport, killing two and injuring five of the 147 people on board.

1997 – The Troubles: In response to the Drumcree dispute, five days of mass protests, riots and gun battles begin in Irish nationalist districts of Northern Ireland.

1998 – Hong Kong International Airport opens in Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, replacing Kai Tak Airport as the city's international airport.

2003 – The 70-metre Yevpatoria Planetary Radar sends a METI message (Cosmic Call 2) to five stars: Hip 4872, HD 245409, 55 Cancri (HD 75732), HD 10307 and 47 Ursae Majoris (HD 95128). The messages will arrive to these stars in 2036, 2040, 2044, and 2049, respectively.
• [Wikipedia: Cosmic Call]

2006 – The Nathu La pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.

2013 – At least 42 people are killed in a shooting at a school in Yobe State, Nigeria.
• [Wikipedia: Yobe State school shooting]

2013 – A Boeing 777 operating as Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes at San Francisco International Airport, killing three and injuring 181 of the 307 people on board.

2013 – A 73-car oil train derails in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec and explodes into flames, killing at least 47 people and destroying more than 30 buildings in the town's central area.

2016 - Pokémon Go, the real-world mobile game by Niantic, is first released
• [Wikipedia: Pokémon Go]
• ["I Remember Summer 2016" - Pokemon Go Retrospective (2018)]
• [Shiny Trifecta! 5th Anniversary Event Is Insane! Shiny Starters, Lure Modules, Darumaka | Pokémon GO]

2017 - France announces it will ban petrol and diesel cars by 2040
• [rance goes green: Plan to ban petrol and diesel cars]

2020 - America officially begins withdrawing from the World Health Organization
• [US withdraws from WHO: Trump tells congress he formally withdrawn from World Health Organization]
• [U.S. formally withdraws from WHO]
• [Dr. Fauci on rejoining WHO and how Biden’s COVID plan will affect vaccine rollout l GMA]
• [US rejoins WHO under Biden administration]





CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES


If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.



Become a Patron!


Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 4:00am on Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Read More

Daily Weather Briefing for Wednesday, July 26, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

An accident on US23/74 in Haywood County at about 2:53 pm on Tuesday claimed the lives of two people and seriously injured a trooper working for the North Carolina Highway Patrol. The road was closed for several hours and traffic diverted until the road was opened again at 11:15 pm after the State Highway Patrol Reconstruction Unit finished investigating he accident and then the vehicles and debris was removed from the roadway.

Real time updates on the traffic situation was provided by and for motorists on Facebook by Macon Media and the WNC Road Warriors Facebook Group.

Read more about the accident at the following locations:

WLOS-TV

2 Dead, Trooper Airlifted

Haywood County Crash Snarls Traffic

WRGC-AM

Deadly Accident in Haywood County

The Mountaineer Newspaper

Accident Details Emerge

Serious Accident Shuts Down US 23/74

LOCAL OUTLOOK

High pressure moving by to the north is expected to provide cooler temperatures today. Another front will move in from the northwest late in the week, with cooler and drier conditions arriving behind it for the weekend.

DAY SPONSOR

The Southeastern Private Property and Federal Land Use Conference in Bryson City is underwriting Macon Media today.

The Southeastern Private Property and Federal Land Use Conference will be taking place in Bryson City on Saturday, July 29th. The purpose of the conference is to examine how the shrinking amount of taxable private property in rural counties leads to below-average economic conditions for businesses and people in those areas. Additionally, the conference will focus on the changing management of federal lands and how this affects rural counties and forest users in the mountains. Learn more about the conference and how you can attend at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-southeastern-private-property-and.html

WEATHER SPONSOR



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing and public safety updates for the month. They have all your masonry products (block, mortars, tools), plus feature Belgrade Pavers and Sakrete Products. Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC.

Visit their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

Their phone number is 828.524.8545, all are welcome, let them help you with your next project.


Weather Almanac for July 26th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 94°F in Franklin in 1999
Lowest Temperature 39°F in Highlands in 1911
Greatest Rainfall 3.06 inches in Highlands in 1943

Record weather events for July in Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on July 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on July 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on July 29, 1879


THREE DAY OUTLOOK

TODAY



Patchy fog, dense in some locations, in the morning. Sunny with highs in the upper 80s and calm winds. Slight chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 pm.

TONIGHT

Mostly cloudy with fog developing after midnight and lows in the upper 60s. Calm winds. Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight.



THURSDAY

Patchy fog in the morning. Partly sunny with highs in the mid-80s and calm winds in the morning, then from the southwest in the afternoon. Chances of scattered showers and thunderstorms increase through the afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-60s and out of the southwest. Scattered showers and thunderstorms.



FRIDAY

Mostly cloudy with highs in the low-80s. Showers and thunderstorms are likely.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-60s. Showers are likely.

HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not expected.

For more information on dealing with excessive heat, please check out http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/

As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches, and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN



TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Wed Jul 26 2017

For the North Atlantic...The Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. A tropical wave, located a few hundred miles south of the Cabo Verde Islands, is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Some slow development of this system is possible this weekend as it moves westward at 10 to 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...near 0 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...low...20 percent.


MACON CALENDAR

If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer in pdf format or a high-quality photo, to editor@maconmedia.com. If you want text published, please include a paragraph with your photo, flyer or graphic. Please include date(s) and time(s).
There is no charge for civic, educational or nonprofit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC, and EDC, where full rates apply.

Wednesday, August 2nd

7:00 p.m. in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room- "A Trip to the Moon and Beyond: The fantastical science fiction silent films of George Melies"
Each short film will be presented with a LIVE soundtrack featuring musicians Tyler Kittle and Michael Libramento.

Free and open to the public.


September 27th, WEDNESDAY

HOSPICE HOUSE FOUNDATION OF WNC

PEACEFUL JOURNEY
3rd annual charity dining event
hosted by RISTORANTE PAOLETTI at 440 Main Street in Highlands

For information, visit http://hhfwnc.org/peaceful-journey/


National Alliance on Mental Illness
Appalachian South

Meets each Thursday at 7pm
The First Methodist Church Outreach Center
at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and West Main Street
(directly across from Lazy Hiker Brewery)

Come join our weekly support group for anyone suffering from mental illness and their family or friends. This includes Depression, Bipolar,8chizophrenia, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Etc.

Here you will find:
— others living with mental health challenges YOU ARE NOT ALONE
- learn coping skills and ?find hope in shared experience
- help learning how to break down stigma and guilt surrounding mental health
- how to live life with the expectation of a better a better future

Kay (706)970-9987 Denise (828)347-5000)

SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

On January 1, 2017, the Syringe Exchange Program of Franklin began operating a comprehensive harm reduction program to address the opioid epidemic that is impacting western NC. Opioid overdose reversal kits including naloxone are available free of charge. If you have any questions about our services or if you know someone interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Almeida at 828-475-1920.



Astronomy

Twilight Begins: 6:09 am
Sunrise: 6:38 am
Sunset 8:41 pm
Twilight Ends: 9:09 pm

Day Length (Sunrise to Sunset) 14 h 3 m
(1 min shorter than yesterday)


Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent with 11% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
The next New Moon will occur during a total solar eclipse at 2:36:40 pm on August 21, 2017.

Moonrise 10:05 a.m.
Moonset 11:05 p.m.


Sky Guides for this week

Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine


Earth Sky has an article on the eclipses of 2017. [LINK]

Heavens Above has an Android App that will assist you in observing the sky and even has a satellite tracker that will let you know when the International Space Station and dozens of other satellites are overhead. [LINK]

Stellarium is also an app that will assist you in observing the sky. It is available in both Android [LINK] and iOS versions. [LINK]

CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online. You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia


Published at 4:15 am on July 26, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Weather Prediction Center. 

Read More

Candidates for District Attorney Participate in Forum in Canton, NC

On Sunday, September 26, 2014, the candidates running for District Attorney in the 30th Prosecutorial District participated in a forum at the Colonial Theater in Canton, NC. Thomas Amburgey, District Attorney in the 28th District, moderated. The event was sponsored by the WNC Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Drugs in our Midst and hosted by the Town of Canton.

Here is the full video of the forum:


The candidates met one time previously to this in April at a forum hosted by the Macon-Jackson Fraternal Oder of Police Lodge #81. Video of that forum can be seen on Youtube.

Information on the Colonial Theater, built in 1932, can be found on the Town of Canton website.

Read More

Old Photos: 2006 Campbell Mtn Estates Fire (Part 1)

Photo from the day in 2006 when I learned that I could not safely watch three widely separated burning brush piles at the same time...

I'll post a few more photos from this fire next week, then move on to other photos I took during that time period.

The camera I took this photo with was an itty bitty silver no name camera (it had a name, but I forget what it was) that had a resolution of 1.9 Megapixels. It had no display to let me know if the shots I was taking were good or not, just an LCD counter telling me how many photos I had taken and how many more I could take. I had 128 and 256 MB SD Cards that I used in the camera. I still have some of them that I use as memory cards for a couple of old MP3 Players.


What brought this on was the rediscovery of a bunch of old Kodak Photo CDs from the 2005-2007 time frame that I had thought were lost (accidentally thrown away) when I moved from Jackson County back to the homestead in Macon County. Over the next few months, I'll be posting some of them.

I found these CDs because I was looking for an old keyboard to use with a desktop that someone has donated to me to use for video editing.

Read More

Highlights from the 2012 Convention of the 11th Congressional District Republican Party of North Carolina

Republicans from across the 11th congressional district met to conduct business, elect officers, hear from candidates running for various offices, to fellowship and eat a meal together in Waynesville, NC at Tuscola High School. I had a previous engagement and missed out on the eating part.

A young girl named McKayla Reese provided entertainment with several songs on her 13th birthday at various parts in the program. The convention seated 205 delegates from the Republican parties of the 17 counties that comprise the newly expanded 11th congressional district. Officers were elected, but their names were not on any printed list I saw. I think, for the most part, they are the same as the last time save for Robin Ramsey, who now lives in the 10th congressional district.

Here is a slideshow of some of the photos I took at the convention:





Candidates for various state level and state-wide offices were introduced and the candidates for Congress in the 11th District (or their designee) were given three minutes to speak. Five of the eight candidates attended the convention and spoke for themselves. They were (in the order they spoke), Chris Petrella, Jeff Hunt, Mark Meadows, Kenny West and Spence Campbell.

The candidates who didn't show up at the convention of their own party were Vance Patterson (Ron Lewis spoke for him), Ethan Wingfiled (Larry ford spoke for him) and Susan Harris, who didn't even bother to find a proxy.

Candidates for Congress Speak at the NC11 GOP Convention

Chris Petrella



Jeff Hunt



Ron Lewis Speaks for Vance Patterson



Mark Meadows



Kenny West



Larry Ford Speaks for Ethan Wingfield



Spence Campbell



After the congressional candidates spoke the convention passed three resolutions. Here they are in no particular order:

A Resolution to Honor Dr Joe Morgan

WHEREAS, many individuals make great contributions and sacrifices to the Republican Party; and,

WHEREAS, there are special circumstances that certain individuals have great influence and are mentors to others in the Republican Party; and,

WHEREAS, words are inadequate and no accolades enough to express the grandness of this individual to be honored; and,

WHEREAS, the Eleventh Congressional District of the State of North Carolina recognizes that a need exists to express its deepest appreciation to this individual in some manner; and, be it therefore,

RESOLVED, that the eleventh Congressional District of North Carolina by unanimous consent, recognize Dr Joe Morgan, awarding him a "CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION' at this Eleventh Congressional District Convention, at tuscola high School in Waynesville, NC.

---

Resolutions in favor of the Marriage Amendment and exposing the United Nations Agenda 21.

The resolutions were passed unanimously, then the convention was adjourned more than two hours later than scheduled to eat. I had a previous engagement and had to leave.

Read More