Local

Press photo/Mia Overton - Donna Jones and eight-year-old Hunter Duncan cast their votes for what they would like to see at the Whitmire property. The town held three public drop-in meetings on Feb. 23 to gather public input on a recreation plan being developed. An online survey will be available through Friday.

Press photo/Mia Overton - Donna Jones and eight-year-old Hunter Duncan cast their votes for what they would like to see at the Whitmire property. The town held three public drop-in meetings on Feb. 23 to gather public input on a recreation plan being developed. An online survey will be available through Friday.

Public gives input on Whitmire recreation plan

Mia Overton
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
The Town of Franklin held three public drop-in meetings last week to gather ideas for the recreation plan being developed for the Whitmire property.
Press graphic

Press graphic

Property owners appeal revaluation

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
More than 350 revaluation appeals have been filed with the Macon County Tax Office as a growing number of property owners aim to contest the newly assessed value of their land. During the Feb.
Press graphic

Press graphic

Shooting death civil case ends in mistrial

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
A hung jury resulted in a mistrial for the civil case against a former Macon County deputy who shot and killed a Franklin man in his home. The lawsuit will continue as the family of Scott Knibbs seeks what they feel is some form of justice.
County seal

County seal

Commissioners hear comment on revaluation, library

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
A “gavel-in-and-out” meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners on Valentine’s Day ended up lasting just over 10 minutes as two public comments on hot-button local issues were heard. A notice was sent out on Monday, Feb.
Press photo/Will Woolever Completing the recreation plan for the Whitmire property (Sunnyside Park) is one of the priorities the Town Council identified for the coming year.

Press photo/Will Woolever Completing the recreation plan for the Whitmire property (Sunnyside Park) is one of the priorities the Town Council identified for the coming year.

Franklin Town Council sets priorities

Mia Overton
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
The Franklin Town Council met for its annual retreat this past weekend and identified priorities for the coming year. The retreat began the evening of Friday, Feb.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill Superintendent Chris Baldwin discusses the addition planned for East Franklin.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill Superintendent Chris Baldwin discusses the addition planned for East Franklin.

Funding dominates MCS retreat talks

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Macon County School board members are grappling with ways to get more local funding for the 2023-24 budget, as discussed during its Feb. 15 board retreat. During the morning of the day-long retreat at the N.C.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - County Manager Derek Roland addresses the Board of Commissioners during the budget kick-off meeting on Feb. 9.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - County Manager Derek Roland addresses the Board of Commissioners during the budget kick-off meeting on Feb. 9.

County to review fire department contracts

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Macon County’s Emergency Services Director Warren Cabe plans to have all the fire departments sign a new service contract this year as part of a total review of how the county’s emergency services operates. Cabe told the Board of Commissioners at the Feb.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Commissioner Danny Antoine holds up a copy of the book “Gender Queer,” as an example of “filth” that is available for kids in the Macon County Public Library during a Feb. 7 meeting.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Commissioner Danny Antoine holds up a copy of the book “Gender Queer,” as an example of “filth” that is available for kids in the Macon County Public Library during a Feb. 7 meeting.

Library users protest policies and ‘pornography’

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
More than a dozen speakers spoke at the library board meeting last week advocating against library policies that allow the promotion of certain LGBTQIA books they feel are dangerous to children. The arguments made at the two-hour and 45-minute meeting on Feb.
Press file photo. The town will begin grading the site for the new skatepark in March with construction slated to begin in May or June.

Press file photo. The town will begin grading the site for the new skatepark in March with construction slated to begin in May or June.

Skatepark construction contract approved

Mia Overton
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
During the Feb. 6 Franklin Town Council meeting, Town Manager Amie Owens presented a contract for Artisan Skateparks to build the new skatepark on the Whitmire property (Sunnyside Park).
Source: Town of Franklin. The Town Council voted 3-2 on Feb. 6 to rezone the two properties outlined in blue as commercial.

Source: Town of Franklin. The Town Council voted 3-2 on Feb. 6 to rezone the two properties outlined in blue as commercial.

Town Council approves rezoning request

Mia Overton
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
In a split vote Feb. 6, the Franklin Town Council approved a rezoning request for property on Belleview Road and Plantation Drive. The request had been tabled from the January meeting when several nearby property owners spoke against the rezoning.