Local

Press photos/Linda Mathias - Volunteers pack rice, soy, vegetables and vitamins for a Rise Against Hunger food packing drive at First United Methodist Church.

CareNet, FUMC help feed a need

Jake Browning

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Macon County residents showed an insatiable hunger for community service this past weekend.

Parvo

Parvo shuts down shelter

Lee Buchanan

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

A case of canine parvovirus has forced Appalachian Animal Rescue Center to close, halting adoptions and intakes until further notice. “Our shelter is closed again for at least one week, possibly longer due to another parvo outbreak,” said Cathy Howman, the center’s director.

Photo submitted Bonnie Berk and her 3-year-old foster “grandchildren” at Long’s Chapel UMC in Waynesville.

Foster grandparents share love at schools

Jake Browning

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Mountain Projects is searching for volunteers to become “foster grandparents” and make a difference in the lives of Macon County students.

Press photo/Linda Mathias Karen Smith, chair of the Macon County Art Association’s Veterans Portraits program, unwraps a portrait of Air Force veteran Robert Lethbridge on Wednesday at the Uptown Gallery.

Portraits of honor

Lee Buchanan

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com Since 2011, veterans and their families have been immortalized thanks to the talents of local artists, and this year’s round of portraits is now on display. This year, the Macon County Art Association is honoring nine veterans.

Leader in me

Teachers tout the power of ‘Leader in Me’

Jake Browning

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Schools from across Western North Carolina that participate in the Leader in Me program sent representatives to Iotla Valley Elementary School for a conference to discuss ways to expand the program.

news

Otto man dies in fire

Lee Buchanan

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A house fire on Monday claimed the life of an Otto man. The victim was identified on Wednesday as Dean D. Ellis, 66. The cause of death was smoke inhalation, according to the Macon County medical examiner. Otto Fire and Rescue responded to a structure fire on American Way Drive at about 4 p.m.

New interim principal at East Franklin

Jake Browning

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Tolly Bowles has been named interim principal at East Franklin Elementary School following the resignation of Landon Holland earlier this month. Bowles is currently the school’s interim assistant principal. Holland said Wednesday that he has felt a need to return to teaching for some time.

Press photo/Linda Mathias - Breast cancer survivors in Macon County are sewing heart shaped drainage tube pillows for current patients. From left: Rita McElroy, Lori Smith, Gwen Bradley-Stanfield.

Survivors: Early detection saves lives

Jake Browning

Thursday, October 24, 2019

One in every eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. Many of those women live in Macon County, of different ages and diverse backgrounds.

Pumpkin Roll

Visitors and locals flock to PumpkinFest

Jake Browning

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Last Saturday’s PumpkinFest was a damp one, but the weather didn’t keep the crowds away. The annual festival in downtown Franklin started off dry, but the afternoon saw much-needed rain fall at an inopportune time, leaving festival attendees a bit wetter than they would have liked.

Durden

Over 30 years, Durden nurtured Macon agriculture

Jake Browning

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Macon County Cooperative Extension director Alan Durden will retire at the end of this month, capping a 30-year career devoted not just to agriculture but to improving the overall quality of life here.