Here is an index to assist you in moving from section to section within the article.
Back to Top
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Special Section: Russia Invades Ukraine (Day 3)
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
Support Macon Media
OUTLOOK
A weak area of low pressure will track along the Gulf Coast tonight and Sunday, spreading precipitation back into the area, including possible very high elevation snow. Dry high pressure builds in Monday and likely dominates our weather through the end of next week.
.Fire Departments Come Together to Raise Money for Injured Firefighter
Otto Fire Chief Terry Rholetter, in his duties as Captain of Macon County Fire Services Squad 4, was injured fighting a wildland fire on Cowee Mountain on February 13th [LINK]. He was flown to the Augusta burn center and has undergone several surgeries. Now, area fire departments are organizing to raise funds to assist him and his family in their time of need. A couple of posts from facebook are embedded below so those interested is contributing can keep up with the effort. A fundraiser has been scheduled for 4pm on Saturday, April 2nd at South Macon Elementary School. [FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE]
From the Clarks Chapel Fire Chief: As the planning of an upcoming benefit continues. I would like to up the stakes a bit, and add some fun competition to supporting a local hero who needs our help. As the Chief of Clarks Chapel I am officially calling out the departments listed below. Here's my proposal. The department that raises the most cash donations aside from other contributions for the benefit will be safe. The remaining departments chiefs or a designee will take a pie to the face at the benefit. Consider yourselves formally challenged. I also challenge the current nominees for Sheriff to the same challenge among themselves.
---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, we̢۪ll help you with your next project.
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.
DAY SPONSOR
Tree Young 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 or visit Yound Tree Service for more information.
---END SPONSOR SEGMENT------
Back to Top
Local Weather
General Forecast Through Sunday Night
Franklin Area
Today
Mostly cloudy, with highs near 57. Calm winds.
Tonight
Showers, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 4am. Lows around 40. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday
Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 5 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with highs near 60.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 30.
Highlands Plateau
Today
Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Light winds out of the south.
Tonight
Showers, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 4am. Lows in the upper 30s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday
Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Highs in the mid 40s. Winds out of the west 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows in the upper 20s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with highs near 50.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around 30.
Otto and South Central Macon County
Today
Mostly cloudy, with highs in the mid 50s. Light and variable winds.
Tonight
Showers, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 4am. Lows around 40. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday
Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between
a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with highs near 60.
Monday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around freezing.
Nantahala Area
Today
Mostly cloudy, with highs near 50. Calm winds.
Tonight
Showers, mainly after 2am. Patchy fog after 3am. Lows around 40. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday
Rain, mainly before 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Highs in the mid 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts
between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night
Mostly clear, with lows around 30. Winds out of the northwest 3 to 5 mph.
Monday
Sunny, with highs in the mid 50s.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with lows around freezing.
Back to Top
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Hazardous weather is not expected today. There will be increased chances of rain overnight.
Back to Top
Almanac
Air quality is in the extreme upper range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the extreme upper range of green due to smoke from several fires in the southeast.
Fire and Smoke Map
Pollen
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium-high range (8.5 out of 12) today with Alder and Maple being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.7 out of 12).
Record Weather Events for February 26th
Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)
Highest Temperature 77°F in Franklin in 1977
Lowest Temperature 3°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1967
Greatest One-Day Rain 4.25 inches in Highlands in 1899
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 6.5 inches in Franklin in 2015
Record weather events for February in Macon County
Highest Temperature 79°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-28-1996
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on 02-13-1899
Greatest Rainfall 6.37 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 02-13-1966
Greatest Snowfall 15.0 inches in Highlands on 02-14-1912
All-time record weather events for Macon County
Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993
Back to Top
Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
Back to Top
Local and State News
• $750M from opioid epidemic settlement to flow to NC governments to address substance abuse [WLOS-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Convoy of protestors, including Proud Boys, brings COVID, other grievances to downtown Raleigh [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• NC Republicans appeal gerrymandering decision to US Supreme Court [Raleigh News and Observer]
• Keeping the faith: Religious diversity flourishes in the mountains [Smoky Mountain News]
• Kayaker drowns in Oconaluftee River near Smokemont [Cherokee One Feather]
• Otto Fire department establishes a fundraiser to assist the family of an injured firefighter (Cheif Rholetter) on [GoFundMe]
• WARNING: NO TRAILERS OVER 30 FEET: NCDOT, Highway Patrol offer no solution on reoccurring Cullasaja Gorge issue [The Highlander]
Franklin Town Council - January 2022 Regular Meeting
Asheville Citizen-Times COVID-19 Tracker [Asheville Citizen-Times]
Back to Top
Special Section: Russia Invades Ukraine (Day 1)
(sharing of a particular source is not an endorsement)
Day Three • Russian Forces Close In on Ukraine’s Capital as Kyiv Prepares to Fight [Wall Street Journal]
• U.S.-Made Javelin Missiles Rack Up Russian Tank Kills in Ukraine [Breit Bart News]
Ukraine capital Kyiv endures Russian onslaught - BBC News
• U.S. and EU impose more sanctions on Russia [CBS News via Youtube (Live at 3pm)]
Russia launches amphibious assault on Ukrainian coastal city of Melitopol | ITV News
• 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine [Wikipedia]
• Street fighting begins in Kyiv; people urged to seek shelter [AP News]
• Russia has spent years preparing for international sanctions [Yahoo! News]
• Ukrainian Capital Rocked by Explosions as Russia Intensifies Attack [Wall Street Journal]
Ukraine Invasion Continues Day 3 (FNN Live)
Russian Forces Advance On Kyiv
ITV News witnesses fighting between Ukrainian and Russian troops closing in on Kyiv | ITV News
• The battle for Kyiv: In Ukraine's capital, citizens head for shelter and take up arms [National Post]
• Ukrainian Deputy Minister: Russian forces Suffering Big Losses [Kyiv Post]
Additional News Sources
• Russia Launches invasion of Ukraine [BBC Liveblog]
https://www.kyivpost.com/
https://ukranews.com/en/news
https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cx1m7zg0gzdt/ukraine
https://www.aljazeera.com/where/ukraine/
https://www.ukrinform.net/
https://www.cgtn.com/europe
NΞMICO NΞTWORK
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNNFS1bhD94Qc5vSARGOo6w
EarthCam Live: Kyiv, Ukraine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cyQPN5xQtU
Russian Invasion Of Ukraine | LIVE | Situation Room | INDB | Russian Military Advancing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq8iFW7BRNA
Al Jazeera English | Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-upyPouRrB8
DW News livestream | Headline news from around the world
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9KZGs1MtP4
LIVE MULTI-CAM: EXPLOSIONS NEAR KIEV - UKRAINE/RUSSIA/DONETSK/LUHANSK + TWITTER FEEDS/NEWS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncfpk4OFkXE
Putin announces 'special operation' in Donbass | SPECIAL COVERAGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0I5eglJMRI
Back to Top
National and World News Roundup
• Biden Targets Russia With Strategy of Containment, Updated for a New Era [New York Times]
• Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination puts public defender experience on center stage [Courthouse News Service]
President Biden Delivers Remarks on his Nomination of Judge Jackson
• How Republicans moved from Reagan’s ‘evil empire’ to Trump’s praise for Putin [Washington Post]
• J&J and distributors to pay $26bn to settle claims they fuelled US opioid crisis [The Guardian]
• Macron tells French farmers: Ukraine war will weigh on you, and it will last [Yahoo! News]
• Conflicts to Watch in 2022 [Council on Foreign Relations]
War in Ukraine: What's driving Putin? | DW News Special
Global National: Feb. 25, 2022 | Russia advances into Kyiv as Ukraine's capital prepares to defend
NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - February 25th, 2022
PBS NewsHour Full Episode February 25th, 2022
Back to Top
COVID-19 News and Updates
Here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]
• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]
Globally, as of 4:39pm CET, 25 February 2022, there have been 430,257,564 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,922,049 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 21 February 2022, a total of 10,407,359,583 vaccine doses have been administered.
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 4:39pm CET, 25 February 2022, there have been 78,050,838 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 935,093 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 18 February 2022, a total of 534,803,540 vaccine doses have been administered.
• Presence of Symptoms 6 Weeks After COVID-19 Among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated U.S. Healthcare Personnel [MedRxiv (28 page PDF)]
• Highly divergent white-tailed deer SARS-CoV-2 with potential deer-to-human transmission [BioRxiv (31 page PDF)]
• CDC Media Telebriefing: Update on COVID-19 [CDC (with audio)]
• As mask mandates fade, experts say use of masks likely will not [Stat]
• Protesters turn to tinfoil hats as increasing sickness blamed on Government beaming radiation rays [NZ Herald]
• Monitoring COVID-19
• COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs Part I [Reddit]
• COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs Part II [Reddit]
[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
[Outbreak.info]
• CDC Releases Emergency Guidance for Healthcare Facilities to Prepare for Potential Omicron Surge [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
• COVID-19 case rates by county in 2021 [AXIOS]
• Variant: 21L (Omicron) also known as BA.2[CoVariants]
Back to Top
Science and Technology News Roundup
The Russia-Ukraine War Has Put Many Space Missions at Risk
• Hacker collective Anonymous declares 'cyber war' against Russia, disables state news website [Australian ABC News Network]
• Doctors Were Able to Study a Man's Brain Activity as He Died [Gizmodo]
• Twitter accounts sharing video from Ukraine are being suspended when they’re needed most [The Verge]
• Apple Pay unavailable in Russia after U.S. and E.U. imposed-sanctions [Apple Insider]
• Startup founder says he lost his company and $100 million by relying on Facebook: 'Sends chills down my spine' to watch others build businesses on Instagram and TikTok [Business Insider]
• I’ve been waiting 15 years for Facebook to die. I’m more hopeful than ever by Cory Doctorow[The Guardian]
• Hacker ‘Wearing Pajama Pants’ Brings Down North Korea’s Entire Internet [The Sized]
• Internet guerrillas: Inside the DIY broadband revolution with NYC Mesh [Digital Trends]
Podcasts and Long Form Videos
Anything from educational, entertainment, history, current events and technology
Could The Tonga Blast Lower Global Temperatures? (And Other Questions) | Lightning Round | Answers with Joe
Episode 137: Tanis | Paleo cast
Architects of Abundance: Indigenous Food Systems and the Excavation of Hidden History
US & NATO Allies Brace for Russian Retaliatory Cyberattacks
Back to Top
On This Day
February 26th is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 308 days remain until the end of the year (309 in leap years).
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
747 BC – Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy's Nabonassar Era.
364 – Valentinian I is proclaimed Roman emperor.
1266 – Battle of Benevento: An army led by Charles, Count of Anjou, defeats a combined German and Sicilian force led by Manfred, King of Sicily. Manfred is killed in the battle and Pope Clement IV invests Charles as king of Sicily and Naples.
1365 – The Ava Kingdom and the royal city of Ava (Inwa) founded by King Thado Minbya.
1606 – The Janszoon voyage of 1605–06 becomes the first European expedition to set foot on Australia, although it is mistaken as a part of New Guinea.
1616 – Galileo Galilei is formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching or defending the view that the earth orbits the sun.
1775 – The British East India Company factory on Balambangan Island is destroyed by Moro pirates.
1794 – The first Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen burns down.
1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba.
1876 – Japan and Korea sign a treaty granting Japanese citizens extraterritoriality rights, opening three ports to Japanese trade, and ending Korea's status as a tributary state of Qing dynasty China.
1909 – Kinemacolor, the first successful color motion picture process, is first shown to the general public at the Palace Theatre in London.
1914 – HMHS Britannic, sister to the RMS Titanic, is launched at Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park.
1929 – President Calvin Coolidge signs an executive order establishing the 96,000 acre Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
1935 – Adolf Hitler orders the Luftwaffe to be re-formed, violating the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
1935 – Robert Watson-Watt carries out a demonstration near Daventry which leads directly to the development of radar in the United Kingdom.
1936 – In the February 26 Incident, young Japanese military officers attempt to stage a coup against the government.[citation needed]
1952 – Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.
1960 – A New York-bound Alitalia airliner crashes into a cemetery in Shannon, Ireland, shortly after takeoff, killing 34 of the 52 persons on board.
1966 – Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket.
1971 – U.N. Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
1979 – The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.
1980 – Egypt and Israel establish full diplomatic relations.
1987 – Iran–Contra affair: The Tower Commission rebukes President Ronald Reagan for not controlling his national security staff.
1992 – First Nagorno-Karabakh War: Khojaly Massacre: Armenian armed forces open fire on Azeri civilians at a military post outside the town of Khojaly leaving hundreds dead.
1993 – World Trade Center bombing: In New York City, a truck bomb parked below the North Tower of the World Trade Center explodes, killing six and injuring over a thousand people.
1995 – The UK's oldest investment banking institute, Barings Bank, collapses after a rogue securities broker Nick Leeson loses $1.4 billion by speculating on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange using futures contracts.
2008 – The New York Philharmonic performs in Pyongyang, North Korea; this is the first event of its kind to take place in North Korea.
2012 – A train derails in Burlington, Ontario, Canada killing at least three people and injuring 45.
2013 – A hot air balloon crashes near Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 people.
2019 – Indian Air Force fighter-jets targeted Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camps in Balakot.
2021 – A total of 279 female students aged between 10 and 17 are kidnapped by bandits in the Zamfara kidnapping in Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Back to Top
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.
Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia
Published at 5:00am on Saturday, February 26, 2022
Author: Bobby Coggins
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac 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, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
Posts
