News

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County school buses enter the roundabout at Depot Street on their way to Franklin High School for the afternoon pickup.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County school buses enter the roundabout at Depot Street on their way to Franklin High School for the afternoon pickup.

Bus driver shortage a constant problem for school system

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
About once a week a bus route for Macon County Schools is missed due to a lack of available drivers. “We’ve hit a critical point,” MCS Personnel Director Todd Gibbs said. “We’ve been dwindling over the last five to eight years.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Seniors participate in a tai chi class at the Crawford Senior Center.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Seniors participate in a tai chi class at the Crawford Senior Center.

Senior Crawford Center now fully open

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
While the drive-thru lunch program is no more, the Macon County Crawford Senior Center is back to offering a full array of services, programs and much more. Kim Crawford, Senior Center coordinator, spoke about the center with a group of mostly seniors at the St.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Ten-year-old Gracie Parker, right, speaks about her childhood trauma and efforts to set up a Young Mental Health-Help Rally, which is slated for Saturday, April 30 at the gazebo on Main Street. Supporting Gracie is her friend Kennedy.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Ten-year-old Gracie Parker, right, speaks about her childhood trauma and efforts to set up a Young Mental Health-Help Rally, which is slated for Saturday, April 30 at the gazebo on Main Street. Supporting Gracie is her friend Kennedy.

Board opposes charter school bill

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
The Macon County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday opposing a bill that would give charter schools more leeway to obtain local school board funds without oversight.
Photo/Bob Scott - Frieda Bennett speaks about the Highlands PreK project during the March 14 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Photo/Bob Scott - Frieda Bennett speaks about the Highlands PreK project during the March 14 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Highlands residents push for school expansion

News Staff
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A large crowd of Highlands residents made their way to Franklin to voice their displeasure regarding a recent joint decision between the Macon County Board of Education and Macon County Board of Commissioners to cancel an expansion project at Highlands School.
Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Board of Education members attend a budget workshop on March 14. Pictured (from left) are Diedre Breeden, Hilary Wilkes, Chair Jim Breedlove and Vice Chair Melissa Evans.

Press photo/Thomas Sherrill - Macon County Board of Education members attend a budget workshop on March 14. Pictured (from left) are Diedre Breeden, Hilary Wilkes, Chair Jim Breedlove and Vice Chair Melissa Evans.

School Board faces fund balance woes

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A $1.9 million fund balance for Macon County Schools could be whittled down to nearly nothing 16 months from now due to anticipated teacher pay raises and electricity rate hikes, according to a March 14 Board of Education budget workshop presentation. “It’s not that we’ve been irresponsible….
Press photo/Will Woolever - Grading for the new skatepark on the Whitmire property in East Franklin is expected to be completed by the first week of May with construction starting in late May or early June. Construction is expected to take about 120 days.

Press photo/Will Woolever - Grading for the new skatepark on the Whitmire property in East Franklin is expected to be completed by the first week of May with construction starting in late May or early June. Construction is expected to take about 120 days.

Commissioners fund remaining skatepark construction costs

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Electing to go above its previous pledge, the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on March 14 to pay off the last $60,576 of construction costs to make the Whitmire property skatepark a reality.
Photo/Bob Scott - Commissioners Danny Antoine, Paul Higdon, Josh Young and John Shearl listen to public comments during the March 14 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Photo/Bob Scott - Commissioners Danny Antoine, Paul Higdon, Josh Young and John Shearl listen to public comments during the March 14 Macon County Board of Commissioners meeting.

County hears calls to break with FRL

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
A public outcry that started almost two years ago over a Pride Month display in the Macon County Public Library has manifested into an effort by at least one commissioner to break away from the 79-year-old Fontana Regional Library System.
Photo/Bob Scott Hikers loading up the shuttle to take them from the Hilltop Inn to Winding Stair Gap. 

Photo/Bob Scott Hikers loading up the shuttle to take them from the Hilltop Inn to Winding Stair Gap. 

Franklin prepares for AT hiking season

Thomas Sherrill
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
As you read this, someone is at Springer Mountain in Georgia, with a pack full of food, clothes, sleeping bags, thermos and carrying a whole lot of optimism. Roughly 10-14 days from now, that hiker will likely descend Winding Stair Gap on U.S. 64, about 11 miles west of Franklin.
Photo submitted The Friends of the Greenway and the Franklin Police Department have partnered to provide officers with a satellite office at FROG Quarters in East Franklin.

Photo submitted The Friends of the Greenway and the Franklin Police Department have partnered to provide officers with a satellite office at FROG Quarters in East Franklin.

FROG offers satellite quarters for FPD

Mia Overton
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The Franklin Police Department will have a greater presence in East Franklin through a partnership with the Friends of the Greenway.
Map/Town of Franklin PZC1, including Iotla Street, White Oak Circle, Ridgewood Drive, is one of the three areas the Franklin Planning Board will review for possible rezoning.

Map/Town of Franklin PZC1, including Iotla Street, White Oak Circle, Ridgewood Drive, is one of the three areas the Franklin Planning Board will review for possible rezoning.

Town Planners to review zoning

Mia Overton
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
The Franklin Planning Board is beginning the process of rezoning several areas in town. During the Town Council’s retreat last month, Town Planner Justin Setser presented maps of seven areas where he said the current zoning does not match how the neighborhoods are currently being used.