Local

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Jason Love (at left with laptop computer) shares a presentation with the Water Quality Advisory Committee during an Aug. 28 meeting.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Jason Love (at left with laptop computer) shares a presentation with the Water Quality Advisory Committee during an Aug. 28 meeting.

Water Quality Committee to make report to County Commissioners

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Ahead of the possible votes on changes to land management and floodplains in Macon County, a group works to convince the county commissioners to halt the changes. The Water Quality Advisory Committee was formed in the last couple of weeks, first meeting the week of Aug. 19.
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Absentee ballots to be mailed out Sept. 6

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Absentee ballots will be mailed starting this Friday, Sept. 6, for the 2024 General Election, and North Carolina’s ballot will include seven presidential candidates. Any North Carolina registered voter may request, receive and vote a mail-in absentee ballot where absentee voting is permitted.
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Macon County makes gain in farmland production

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The recently completed Macon County Farmland Protection Plan found more land is farmed locally than 15 years ago, and the number of producers and products sold is up in that period. This plan is the result of a 2022 N.C.
Press photo/Mia Overton - Main Street in Franklin is a state highway and is on the DOT’s schedule to be paved in 2028. Town of Franklin officials are working to get the DOT to make the needed improvements before then.

Press photo/Mia Overton - Main Street in Franklin is a state highway and is on the DOT’s schedule to be paved in 2028. Town of Franklin officials are working to get the DOT to make the needed improvements before then.

Town of Franklin wants DOT to make Main Street a priority

Mia Overton
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The condition of Main Street was a topic of conversation during the Street Department’s report at the August Franklin Town Council meeting. Mayor Jack Horton said someone had recently asked him when the town was going to pave Main Street.
(From left) Matt Holland, chair of the Macon County Young Progressive Voters, and Betsy Baste, third vice chair of the Macon County Democratic Party speak at the beginning of the school board forum on Aug. 25 with candidates Jim Breedlove and John deVille.

(From left) Matt Holland, chair of the Macon County Young Progressive Voters, and Betsy Baste, third vice chair of the Macon County Democratic Party speak at the beginning of the school board forum on Aug. 25 with candidates Jim Breedlove and John deVille.

Macon County school board candidates quizzed

Mia Overton
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The Sunday evening before school started on Monday found two retired teachers pitted against school board candidates in an “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” match up on the stage at the Franklin High School Fine Arts Center. The trivia contest on Aug.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Schools’ Nutrition Director David Lightner (standing, center) is joined by Board of Education members Hilary Wilkes and Jim Breedlove in asking for county funds to cover free lunch for students at Franklin High School and Highlands School for the coming school year.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Schools’ Nutrition Director David Lightner (standing, center) is joined by Board of Education members Hilary Wilkes and Jim Breedlove in asking for county funds to cover free lunch for students at Franklin High School and Highlands School for the coming school year.

Free lunches for all

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
By a 3-2 commissioners’ vote, Macon County will fund up to $200,000 for free lunches for Franklin High School and Highlands K-12 School in the 2024-25 school year.
NEWS Graphic - County passes change to erosion control plan

NEWS Graphic - County passes change to erosion control plan

County passes change to erosion control plan

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
After cutting public comment short due to reaching the time limit and telling roughly a dozen attendees that they could voice their thoughts on proposed changes to the Soil and Erosion Sediment Control plan at next month’s meeting, the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 to loosen those...
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Commissioners Danny Antoine, Gary Shields and Josh Young were the three votes needed to pass the new Franklin High financing plan on Aug. 13. At right is Commissioner John Shearl, who voted against the funding, along with Paul Higdon.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Commissioners Danny Antoine, Gary Shields and Josh Young were the three votes needed to pass the new Franklin High financing plan on Aug. 13. At right is Commissioner John Shearl, who voted against the funding, along with Paul Higdon.

Macon County approves FHS financing plan

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
After years of crunching numbers, disagreements, site visits, planning, hopes and dreams, the new Franklin High School project got the last local approval needed at the Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Press file photo - The Nikwasi Mound and kiosk is downtown Franklin.

Press file photo - The Nikwasi Mound and kiosk is downtown Franklin.

Preservation and education at Nikwasi Mound

Mia Overton
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
The Nikwasi Initiative came before the Franklin Town Council on Aug. 5 to make requests as part of its new Mound Stewardship Plan and to give an update on some of the organization’s activities.
Press photo/Mia Overton - Crews from Chase Environmental Group and the Town of Franklin were working on Stewart Street Monday to remove potentially hazardous waste.

Press photo/Mia Overton - Crews from Chase Environmental Group and the Town of Franklin were working on Stewart Street Monday to remove potentially hazardous waste.

Radioactive waste removed from Stewart Street

Mia Overton
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Crews were working at the end of Stewart Street in downtown Franklin on Monday unearthing “potentially hazardous waste” believed to have been buried there decades ago.