News

Town spreads Christmas cheer

Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com With Thanksgiving dinner reduced to leftovers, Franklin turns its holiday focus to Christmas this weekend with two days packed full of festive fun.  The celebrations kick off Saturday with Winter Wonderland and culminate Sunday with the Christmas Parade.

Justice center idea gets support

Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com When the results of a space needs study were unveiled at the Nov. 12 meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners, it was hardly a surprise to see the crowded jail at the top of the list.

Escapee jailed on $200k in bonds

Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com A woman who escaped custody after being sentenced to jail on Nov. 19 was back in court Friday.

Search leads to 19 arrests

Lee Buchanan editor@thefranklinpress.com The search for a woman who fled custody outside the courthouse prompted authorities to check the homes of people they thought might be harboring her – and led to the arrests of 19 other suspects in the process.

Franklin man died after moped crash

A Franklin man died after his moped was involved in a wreck with a pickup truck on Highlands Road on Tuesday, Nov. 19, according to a N.C. Highway Patrol report. Gavin Johnson, 21, was airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville.

Transportation plan gives glimpse into Macon’s future

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Macon County’s population is forecast to be slow and steady over the next 25 years, reaching 47,556 by 2045, according to a new transportation plan in development by the Southwestern Commission. The U.S.

Where We Live puts spotlight on women who helped shape Macon

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com Monday night’s installment of Cowee School’s Where We Live speaker series provided a glimpse into the lives of the women who helped make Macon County what it is today in a lecture titled “It Happened in the Graveyard ...

Sellers seek to clear smoke on vaping

Jake Browning reporter@thefranklinpress.com As more and more states start to crack down on vaping, vape sellers in Macon County say their businesses have taken a hit. At Franklin Tobacco and Vape, business was very good for vapor-based smoking in the first half of the year.

Mental health tied to economy

Area teachers and administrators were on hand at the Macon County Economic Development Commission meeting on Thursday night in Highlands.

Chiropractor charged with sexual battery

A Franklin chiropractor has been charged with four counts of sexual battery involving patients. Erik Romer Madsen, 59, who operates Mountain View Chiropractic & Wellness Center on Sloan Road, was arrested Nov. 15 and released after posting a $10,000 bond.