Weather Briefing for Wednesday, November 05, 2025 Local Municipal Election Results

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• [Public Safety Notifications]

• [SEVERE WEATHER CHANNEL]

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GENERAL OUTLOOK

Dry conditions and seasonably warm temperatures continue across the region through the end of the week. A passing cold front could bring rain showers to the area over the weekend. A second, stronger front moves through on Sunday, ushering in much colder temperatures for early next week.

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WEATHER SPONSOR

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DAY SPONSOR


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GENERAL 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 60s. West winds around 5 mph.

..TONIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

..THURSDAY....Patchy fog in the morning. Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. Winds out of the northeast around 5 mph, becoming south in the afternoon.

..THURSDAY NIGHT....Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph.

..FRIDAY....Mostly sunny in the morning, then becoming partly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Winds out of the south 5 to 10 mph.

..FRIDAY NIGHT....Rain. Lows around 50. Chance of rain 90 percent.

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HAZARDOUS WEATHER

Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.

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NEWS UPDATES
(Links aggregated to show what various news outlets are reporting)

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LOCAL ELECTIONS
Preliminary Results

The final vote will be determined on November 11th at a meeting of the Macon County Board of Elections.

Franklin Mayor

Guffey 333 | 59.04%
Holland 228 | 40.43%
Write In 3 | 0.53%

Franklin Council (top three win)

Berry 313 | 20.65%
Salain 297 | 19.59%
Higdon 283 | 18.67%
***************
Cook 259 | 17.08
Thatcher 192 | 12.66%
Bailey 148 | 9.76%
Newman 13 | 0.86% (withdrew after the deadline to withdraw)
Write in 11 | 0.73%

In the Highlands races, there was a late attempt at a write-in campaign that failed.

Highlands Mayor

Taylor 265 | 85.21%
Write In 46 | 14.79%

Highlands Commissioners

Pierson 235 | 43.04%
Patterson 230 | 42.12%
Write In 81 | 14.84%

Tate 293 | 98.32
Write In 5 | 1.68%

• North Carolinians to receive 50% of SNAP benefits for November, USDA directs [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC)]


• NC voter information disappearing without notice caused panic, voting rights lawyer says [NC Newsline]

• Top NC leaders travel to Taiwan, Japan to bolster business ties [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]

• NC DMV says wait times at license offices are half what they were 2 months ago [Raleigh News and Observer]

• Former NASA facility in WNC to remain open while listed at $30M: NC AG must approve sale [Asheville Citizen-Times]

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World News

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Genocide is unfolding in Darfur, warns Sudanese government - as it calls for the world to act | Sky News



Zohran Mamdani vs The Machine | Fault Lines Documentary | Al Jazeera



• More than 60 dead as typhoon wreaks havoc in the Philippines [BBC News]

• Germany news: Interior Ministry bans 'Muslim Interactive' [DW News]

• Brussels Airport resumes operations after drone scare disrupts flights [France 24]

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Russo-Ukraine War

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• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, November 4, 2025 [Institute for the Study of War]

Thousands of EU trucks stranded as Belarus imposes entry ban | World News Tonight | TVP World



• NATO confirms $60 bn Ukraine aid package for 2026, double of country’s self-funding capacity [Euromaidan Press]

• EU membership for Ukraine would mean war – Orban [Russia Today (Russian State-Controlled News Outlet)]

• Russian official airs grievances about Western militarization, election meddling [TASS (Russian State-Controlled News Outlet)]

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National News

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• At least 7 dead, 11 injured after UPS plane crashes near Louisville airport [WHAS-TV (Louisville, KY)]

• At least seven dead after UPS plane crashes in fireball on takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky [Reuters]

Full speech: Zohran Mamdani thanks supporters after projected New York City mayoral win | NBC News



Newsom says Prop 50 passage sends ‘powerful message’ to Trump | NBC News



• 5 things to watch as Supreme Court considers Trump’s tariffs [The Hill]

• Democrats dominate as economic woes take a toll on Trump’s GOP. Takeaways from Election Day 2025 [AP News]

• LiveBlog: Fox News calls NYC for Mamdani, VA for Spanberger; polls close across the US on Election Day 2025 [Fox News]

• Global Chip Selloff Erases $500 Billion in Value as Fears Mount [Yahoo Finance]

• Government shutdown set to become longest ever after latest Senate vote fails [CNBC]

Mamdani Wins New York As Trump's Republicans Defeated | Daybreak Europe 11/05/2025 | Bloomberg Television



Washington Today (11-4-25): Election Day 2025; 35-day gov't shutdown ties record; fmr VP Cheney dies | C-SPAN



ABC World News Tonight with David Muir Full Broadcast - November 4, 2025 | ABC News



PBS News Hour, Nov. 4, 2025 | PBS News Hour



• Raspberry Pi Users Should Not Miss This [FOSS NEWS]

• NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say [Space.com]

• Tesla’s Sales Collapsed Nearly 90 Percent in Some Countries Last Month [Gizmodo]

• A commercial space station startup now has a foothold in space [Ars Technica]

• US Prosecutors Seek Maximum Sentence for Samourai Wallet Developers [Decrypt]

• Crypto sentiment nosedives to ‘extreme fear’ as Bitcoin drops under $106K [Coin Telegraph]

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NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and ASN (Aviation Safety Network) Accident Investigation Pages

• Cirrus SR22T Crash [09/18/2025 - Franklin, NC]

• Midair Collision PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 Airplane and Sikorsky H-60 Military Helicopter [1/29/2025 - Arlington, VA]
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Published at 6.00am on Wednesday, November 05, 2025
Author: Bobby Coggins

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Canvass and Recount Completed in 2019 Municipal Elections

Mark Hehn (Highlands Commissioner candidate) and attorney Russell Bowling watch as election officials count provisional ballots in the Highlands Commissioner Race.

Election Canvass Results

The Macon County Board of Elections held their monthly meeting today in the Macon County Courthouse. Among the things they did was a recount of the Highlands Town Commissioner election and the preliminary total was confirmed. They also looked at Provisional ballots and, based on the research of the Board of Elections Director Melanie Thibault, either approved or rejected the ballots.


Russell Bowling watches as election officials recount the votes in the Highlands Commissioner race.


Three of the provisional ballots rejected were from people who had been removed from the rolls after they had failed to vote in the last two federal election years (the elections in even years) and they had failed to respond to two communication attempts from the Board of Elections. Three other provisional ballots were approved. 


The Board of Elections certifying a step in the process of confirming the totals.

Two provisional ballots in the Franklin election were approved, as was an Absentee Ballot that was hand-delivered on election day.

As a result of the adding of the provisional ballots and the absentee by mail ballot, no changes in the order of any race occurred. The new totals, which are final, are posted below after the preliminary results..

Franklin Mayor

Candidate	Preliminary	Final
Bob Scott	322	324
Barbara Sears McRae	213	214

Franklin Council (Top Three to be Seated)

Candidate	Preliminary	Final
Mike Lewis	301	303
Joe Collins	300	301
Jack Horton	284	286
Brandon McMahan	258	259
Peter Mosco	155	155
TJ Wright	69	69
Daniel Coates	54	55
Kevin Klatt	44	45

Franklin Council (Unexpired Term)

Candidate	Preliminary	Final
Dinah Roper Mashburn	413	415

Highlands Town Board of Commissioners (Top Three to be Seated)

Candidate	Preliminary	Final
Brian J Stiehler	182	185
John (Buz) Dotson	134	136
Marc Hehn	134	135
Eric Pierson	130	132
Hank Ross	126	127
Nick McCall	85	85
Michael David Rogers	58	58

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.


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Published at 4:21pm on Friday, November 15, 2019

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Joint Meeting Between the Franklin, Highlands, and County Boards

The local governing boards met on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, at the Franklin Fire department for a meal, fellowship, then a period where the leader of each board spoke about what their particular board has accomplished since the last joint meeting and to share information on projects of mutual benefit. Since Macon Media tries to put as little spin on the news as possible, you can watch the videos below to see for yourself exactly what each leader had to say without first being filtered through a reporter and news outlet.

At the end of the article are some photos taken during the event. Click on any of the photos to embiggen to a larger size.

DAY SPONSOR

Carrion Tree Service is underwriting Macon Media for today. they are a fully licensed and insured tree service, specializing in dangerous tree removal, view clearing, pruning, and crane services with a 24 Hour emergency response.

Their phone number is 371-4718.

They can handle all your tree removal needs in good or bad weather.

Full Video




Mayor Bob Scott
0:00 to 6:28



Commissioner Jimmy Tate
6:28 to 17:15


https://youtu.be/FYWsh2agnlU?t=397

Mayor Pat Taylor
17:52 to 36:35



Photos






Published at 2:45pm on Monday, August 5, 2019

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Filing Period for the 2019 Municipal Elections Has Closed Final List of Candidates

The filing period for 2019 municipal elections has ended. Eighteen people have filed to run for local offices. Two are running for Mayor of Franklin, Eight (two of them incumbents) are running for three four-year seats on the Franklin Town Council. 

The only unopposed candidate is Dinah Mashburn, who is running for two years to complete a four-year term her late husband won in 2017. 

Seven (three of them incumbents) are running for three seats on the Highlands Board of Commissioners.

The particulars of who is running for what office is listed below. Important dates in this election cycle can be found on the Macon County Board of Elections website. [LINK]



Franklin Mayor (two-year term)

Bob Scott (incumbent)
Barbara McRae

Franklin Town Council (four-year term) (three seats open)

Joe Collins (incumbent)
TJ Wright
Jack Horton
Michael Lewis
Daniel Coates
Charles Kevin Klatt
Peter Mosco
Brandon McMahan (incumbent)

Appointed Seat (two-year term) (one seat open)

Dinah Mashburn (incumbent)


Highlands Board of Commissioners (three seats open)

John "Buzz" Dotson (incumbent)
Eric Pierson (incumbent)
Mark Hehn
Hank "Henry" Ross
Nicholas McCall
Brian Stiehler (incumbent)
Michael David Rogers

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.

Patreon Subscriber History May 2014 to Present




Become a Patron!
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.

published at 12:00pm on Friday, July 19, 2019

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2019 Municipal Elections Filing Update

An update to this article has been posted. [LINK]




Candidates continue to filter in and sign up to run for local offices in both the Franklin Town Council and Highlands Board of Commissioners races. 

Here is how things stood as of 4:30pm this afternoon:

Franklin Mayor

Bob Scott (incumbent)
Barbara McRae

Franklin Town Council

Joe Collins (incumbent)
TJ Wright
Jack Horton
Michael Lewis

Appointed Seat (two years)

Dinah Mashburn (incumbent)


Highlands Board of Commissioners

John "Buzz" Dotson (incumbent)
Eric Pierson (incumbent)
Mark Hehn
Hank "Henry" Ross
Nicholas McCall

The filing period closes tomorrow (Friday) at noon.


DAY SPONSOR

Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Health & Fitness, home of #ResultsForEveryone and the FREE 7-Day Guest Pass.

To claim your guest pass, and to learn more about Franklin Health & Fitness, click here: franklinhealthandfitness.com



Published at 4:47pm on Thursday, July 18, 2019

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Day One of Early Voting in Franklin Nets 7 Voters

Today was the first day for One-Stop Early Voting in the 2017 Municipal Election in Franklin. As of 4:40 pm, only 7 people had voted, all in the Franklin election.

Early voting in Highlands will begin on October 26th and early voting will end at both locations at 1 pm on Saturday, November 4th. Election Day will be Tuesday, November 7th, from 6:30 pm until 7:30 pm.

SAMPLE BALLOTS

Franklin Municipal Election



Highlands Municipal Election



An election calendar and video of the sole candidate forum so far this season are posted below for those who are interested.

Election Calendar

Oct 09 Absentee by Mail Began
Oct 13 Vote Registration Ended
Oct 19 One-Stop Early Voting Began at the Franklin Board of Elections Office
Oct 26 One-Stop Early Voting Begins at the Highlands Civic Center
Oct 31 Deadline for Absentee by Mail Requests at 5 pm
Nov 04 One-Stop Early Voting Ends at 1 pm, both locations
Nov 07 Municipal Election Day, 6:30 am to 7:30 pm; Absentee Ballots Must be Received or Postmarked at 5 pm
Nov 17 Official Canvass Meeting at 11 am


September 26th Candidate Forum



Another candidate forum will be held on October 26th, from 6 pm to 7 pm at The Lazy Hiker Brewing Company. [EVENT 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. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

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



Posted at 5:25 pm on October 19, 2017

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Municipal Filing Period Ends for 2017 Election Cycle Mayors and Highlands Commissioners Run Unopposed Six Seek Three Seats on Franklin Council

The Macon Media mobile office

Filing for the 2017 Municipal Election Period ended at noon today with two additional people filing for the Franklin Council and one person filing for a seat on the Highlands Board of Commissioners.

The offices up for election in Franklin are Mayor and three council seats and in Highlands, it is the Mayor and two commissioner seats.

The mayors will be unchallenged (provided there are no write-in campaigns) and six people are seeking the three seats on the Franklin Council and there are two people seeking the two seats in Highlands.

Candidate Filings by Date

July 7th 

Bob Scott filed for re-election as Mayor of Franklin

Patrick Taylor filed for re-election as Mayor of Highlands

July 10th

David B. Culpepper filed for Franklin Town Council

July 12th

Amy Patterson filed for Highlands Commissioner

JimBo Ledford filed for Franklin Town Council

July 17th

Barbara McRae filed for Franklin Town Council

July 20th

Billy Mashburn filed for Franklin Town Council

July 21st

Greg Raby filed for Franklin Council

Donnie Calloway filed for Highlands Commissioner

Angela Moore filed for Franklin Council


Information from the Macon County Board of Elections on the upcoming municipal election cycle is posted below.



ELECTION DAY: Tuesday, November 7, 2017

FILING PERIOD: Beginning Friday, July 7, 2017, at 12 Noon - Ending Friday, July 21, 2017, at 12 Noon

TOWN OF FRANKLIN -MAYOR & 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOWN OF HIGHLANDS - MAYOR & 2 COMMISSIONERS

FILING FOR THE FOLLOWING CONTESTS TAKES PLACE AT THE MACON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

TOWN OF FRANKLIN MAYOR Filing Fee: $72.00
• Term expires for BOB SCOTT
• Two-year term

TOWN OF FRANKLIN COUNCIL MEMBER

• Term expires for BARBARA MCRAE Filing Fee: $36.00
• Four-year term

TOWN OF FRANKLIN COUNCIL MEMBER

• Term expires for BILLY MASHBURN Filing Fee: $36.00
• Four-year term

TOWN OF FRANKLIN COUNCIL MEMBER

• Term expires for PATTI ABEL Filing Fee: $36.00
• Four-year term

TOWN OF HIGHLANDS MAYOR Filing Fee: $10.00
• Term expires for PATRICK TAYLOR
• Four-year term

TOWN OF HIGHLANDS COMMISSIONER Filing Fee: $5.00
• Term expires for AMY E. PATTERSON
• Four-year term

TOWN OF HIGHLANDS COMMISSIONER
• Tam expires for DONNIE CALLOWAY Filing Fee: $5.00
• Four-year tam

IMPORTANT DATES (Subject to change due to legislation by the NC General Assembly)

• Absentee by Mail Voting Begins October 9, 2017
• Voter Registration Deadline October 13, 2017
• One-Stop Early Voting Begins in Franklin BOE office October 19, 2017
• One-Stop Eary Voting Begins in Highlands Civic Center October 26, 2017
• Deadline for Absentee by Mail Requests, 5 PM October 31, 2017
• One-Stop Early Voting Ends, 1 PM at both locations November 4, 2017
• Absentee Ballots Must Be Received or Postmarked, 5 PM November 7, 2017
• Municipal Election Day, polls open 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM November 7, 2017
• Official Canvass Meeting, 11 AM November 17, 2017


VOTING LOCATIONS

Macon County has 2 One Stop sites for the 2017 General Election. Any registered voter of this county may choose to vote at one of the following locations:

Location for Franklin
Board of Elections Office
5 W Main Street, Franklin, NC 28734
(1st Floor Basement Level) Room 127B

Location for Highlands
Highlands Civic Center
600 N 4th St, Highlands, NC 28741
Meeting Room 1


MACON COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS

5 West Main Street Phone (828) 349-2034
Franklin, NC 28734 Fax (828) 349-2557

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 noon on July 21, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety


Be kind to one another.

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