News

Press photos/Mia Overton - Sheila Green, Debbie Queen and Teresa Zoellner dressed the part for the 80s Flashback Weekend festivities on Saturday. See more photos on page B1 of today’s paper and on The Franklin Press Facebook page.

Press photos/Mia Overton - Sheila Green, Debbie Queen and Teresa Zoellner dressed the part for the 80s Flashback Weekend festivities on Saturday. See more photos on page B1 of today’s paper and on The Franklin Press Facebook page.

80s Flashback Weekend

Mia Overton
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
The organizers for the 80s Flashback Weekend came to the Franklin Town Council meeting Monday night to give a brief report and offer thanks for the town’s support of the two-day event, held Aug. 2 and 3.
Graphic/Macon County Schools - From the July 22 presentation on the proposed strategic plan for Macon County Schools.

Graphic/Macon County Schools - From the July 22 presentation on the proposed strategic plan for Macon County Schools.

Macon County Schools unveil strategic plan

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Macon County Schools Superintendent Josh Lynch got approval for a conceptual strategic plan with four pillars to build on during the July 22 school board meeting.
Press file photo - Franklin High School students who miss more than 15 days of a course will fail that course. The high school is also cracking down on excessive tardies.

Press file photo - Franklin High School students who miss more than 15 days of a course will fail that course. The high school is also cracking down on excessive tardies.

FHS tightens student attendance policy

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Attempting to “tighten the screws” on what administrators described as an attendance problem, Franklin High School is putting a hard limit of 15 absences per course starting this school year and revocation of parking privileges for excessive tardies.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - LBJ Job Corp instructor William Gibbs, center, with his masonry students who worked on the Wayah Bald tower and Wilson Lick Ranger Station chimney for two weeks in July. From left, Erriyonna Neal, Kevon McMillan, Gibbs, Antanneya Belton and Amenia Neal.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - LBJ Job Corp instructor William Gibbs, center, with his masonry students who worked on the Wayah Bald tower and Wilson Lick Ranger Station chimney for two weeks in July. From left, Erriyonna Neal, Kevon McMillan, Gibbs, Antanneya Belton and Amenia Neal.

Job Corps students restore Wayah Bald tower

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Over two weeks in July, a group of students from the LBJ Job Corps center in Franklin drove up to Wayah Bald to beautify and preserve the tower and the Wilson Lick Ranger Station. The students learned masonry skills while cleaning one of the area’s premiere attractions.
Image/Macon County Schools. A drawing of the new FHS campus as presented in October 2023.

Image/Macon County Schools. A drawing of the new FHS campus as presented in October 2023.

Public hearing on FHS financing set for August

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Macon County will hold a public hearing on the financing for the Franklin High School project in August as the county aims to get state approval in September. Construction could begin in October or November.
Graphic/Metro Creative

Graphic/Metro Creative

School Board approves lunch, Pre-K tuition increases

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
School lunches at Franklin High School and Highlands School will be $4 for the upcoming school year and Pre-K monthly rates will increase 50% in the next three years as part of what were termed necessary adjustments Monday by the Macon County Board of Education.
Photo/Bob Scott. Eight fire departments from throughout the county responded to a July 17 fire at Liberty Wood Products. The company has temporarily halted work while they wait to get information about repairs to the building.

Photo/Bob Scott. Eight fire departments from throughout the county responded to a July 17 fire at Liberty Wood Products. The company has temporarily halted work while they wait to get information about repairs to the building.

Liberty Wood Products fire under investigation

Mia Overton
Tuesday, July 23, 2024
A July 17 fire damaged a Macon County business and has left its employees temporarily out of work. An investigation into the cause of the fire continues. A call came into the Macon County 911 center at 6:05 a.m.
Source: Little T Broadband - A map of the broadband projects in Macon County, including the new BalsamWest CAB Grant in red, as of July 9, 2024.

Source: Little T Broadband - A map of the broadband projects in Macon County, including the new BalsamWest CAB Grant in red, as of July 9, 2024.

Update on Macon County broadband projects

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Macon County’s second broadband project this decade is finished and three more that will bring service to 4,000 new locations are starting soon.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Due to the large number of people attending, the July 9 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting was moved from the boardroom to the courtroom on the fourth floor of the Courthouse. Thirty-eight people spoke during the public hearings.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Due to the large number of people attending, the July 9 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting was moved from the boardroom to the courtroom on the fourth floor of the Courthouse. Thirty-eight people spoke during the public hearings.

County pauses flood plain changes

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Before the public comments started, Macon County Board of Commissioners Chair Gary Shields told the overflow crowd at the July 9 meeting that he would ask to table three ordinance changes after each public hearing.
Photo submitted - Local drone pilot Eric Haggart

Photo submitted - Local drone pilot Eric Haggart

Local drone pilot concerned after gun incident

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
A local drone pilot hopes more people’s suspicions of drones relax following a recent incident where a landowner tried to shoot one down while the pilot searched for a lost pet. Macon County photographer Eric Haggart is an eight-year licensed drone operator.