News

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Some county residents are impatiently waiting for a decision on whether or not Macon County will become a Second Amendment Sanctuary. More than 400 local governments in 20 states have adopted resolutions to become Second Amendment sanctuaries, resolving to protect gun owners’ rights regardless of laws passed by state and federal governments. The concept has gained popularity in 2020 following the rise of a sweeping gun control agenda in Virginia’s new state legisl

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Some county residents are impatiently waiting for a decision on whether or not Macon County will become a Second Amendment Sanctuary. More than 400 local governments in 20 states have adopted resolutions to become Second Amendment sanctuaries, resolving to protect gun owners’ rights regardless of laws passed by state and federal governments. The concept has gained popularity in 2020 following the rise of a sweeping gun control agenda in Virginia’s new state legisl

Sanctuary resolution sparks debate

Jake Browning
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Some county residents are impatiently waiting for a decision on whether or not Macon County will become a Second Amendment Sanctuary.
Press photo/Linda Mathias - Saturday’s snowfall quickly covered roads, triggering numerous accidents.

Press photo/Linda Mathias - Saturday’s snowfall quickly covered roads, triggering numerous accidents.

Wild Weather

Lee Buchanan
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Flooding after several days of rain, followed by a surprise snowfall caused plenty of problems for Macon County residents, but no injuries were reported “We actually fared really well,” said Warren Cabe, director of Macon County Emergency Services.
Press photo/Jake Browning - The 100-unit subdivision is planned for this 40-acre site off Highlands Road.

Press photo/Jake Browning - The 100-unit subdivision is planned for this 40-acre site off Highlands Road.

New subdivision planned

Jake Browning
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Franklin is going to start feeling a lot homier. Providence Builders plans to develop the Scenic Ridge residential subdivision. The project would build about 100 new dwellings with an average of three bedrooms each on a 40-acre tract off Highlands Road behind Smoky Mountain Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM.

Franklin man charged with sexual exploitation of children

News Staff
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
  A Franklin man has been arrested and charged with possessing photos of sex crimes involving children. Mark Wayne Saffran was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Danny Bates

Danny Bates

Bates named interim chief

News Staff
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Danny Bates has been named Franklin’s interim police chief. Bates has lived in Macon County for his entire life. He graduated from Franklin High School and Southwestern Community College, where he earned his associate of applied science degree in criminal justice.
Press photo/Jake Browning The Macon County Board of Education ran out of room to hold everyone who came to support arts education at their monthly meeting on Monday night.

Press photo/Jake Browning The Macon County Board of Education ran out of room to hold everyone who came to support arts education at their monthly meeting on Monday night.

Group proposes three-year arts education plan

News Staff
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
A community organization calling itself Arts for MCS is proposing a three-year plan to expand the role of the arts in Macon County Schools. Teachers Maggie Jennings and Sara O’Neal told school board members at their Jan.
Press photo/Andy Scheidler - Danny and Mary Antoine sit surrounded by just some of their children.

Press photo/Andy Scheidler - Danny and Mary Antoine sit surrounded by just some of their children.

Love, faith built Antoine family

Andy Scheidler
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Danny and Mary Antoine sit next to one another on a loveseat inside their Franklin home. As they talk, whether about their unusually large family, or how they approach being parents to children in their karate classes and after-school program, they hold hands.
Photo submitted - Macon Program for Progress operates a Head Start child care facility that serves 301 children.

Photo submitted - Macon Program for Progress operates a Head Start child care facility that serves 301 children.

MPP plans to build child care facility

News Staff
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com Macon County families are facing a critical shortage of affordable, quality child care, but Macon Program for Progress plans to ease the burden by building a new day care facility.