News and Weather Briefing for Tuesday, July 28, 2026

(since this is a quick forecast intended to cover the whole county, bear in mind that higher elevations may experience cooler temperatures than this and the lower elevations may experience higher temperatures than those in the forecast)

.TODAY.…Partly sunny. Areas of fog this morning. A chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.TONIGHT.…Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.WEDNESDAY.…Mostly sunny. Highs around 80. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT.…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. North winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening.

.THURSDAY.…Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. North winds around 5 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT.…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER

Hazardous weather is possible this afternoon and early evening. Be sure you have multiple ways of receiving weather alerts.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (6.0 out of 12) today with Grasses, Plantain, and Nettle being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (4.4 out of 3.0).

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(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)

LIVE SATURDAY MIDDAY MUSIC CALENDAR FOR JUNE/JULY 2026

11a to 1p at Friends of the Greenway, Inc.
573 E Main St, Franklin, NC 28734
contact: frog28734@gmail.com; 828-369-8488

654:25 AM 7/28/2026 To find out more about the Greenway and our organization, our website is: littletennessee.org.

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Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)

Highest Temperature 98°F in Franklin in 1952

Lowest Temperature 36°F in Highlands in 1911

Greatest Rainfall 1.90 inches in Franklin in 1997

Record weather events for July in Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature 34°F in Highlands on Jul 27, 1911
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873

Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of July
Highest Temperature 109°F Albemarle, Stanly County Jul 28, 1940
Lowest Temperature 32°F Celo, Yancey County Jul 10, 1961
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 21.15 in Highlands, Macon County Jul 29, 1879

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Coalition launches campaign to repair Helene-damaged homes | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC

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NC political campaigns ramp up as midterms nears | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

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ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – July 27, 2026 | ABC News

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode – July 27 | NBC News

Washington Today (7/27/26): POTUS Trump Warns Iran as Senate Tackles Funding and Confirmations | C-SPAN

• Paul releases Fauci’s diary entries ahead of hearing [The Hill]
• ICE extends no-bid contract for major detention center in Texas, rejecting calls for closure [AP News]
• Trump to host Netanyahu, Zelenskiy as Ukraine, Iran wars reach critical stages [Yahoo News]

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What’s Going on With Shipping Talking Ship on Nooner with Dooner | What’s Going on With Shipping?

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Where Has Venezuela’s Oil Gone? | Economics Explained

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New Method Finally Confirms the Age of the Universe | Antob Petrov

• There are already 16,000 satellites in Earth’s orbit. How will we manage the next 100,000? [Astronomy Magazine]
• Chang’e-6 Samples Provide an Ancient Record of the Moon’s Far Side. [Universe Today]
• These insect submariners survive depths that should crush them [ScienceDaily]
• This Week’s Sky at a Glance, July 24 – August 2 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]

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The Level1 Links with Friends Show July 28 2026: We Did It, Reddit!

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Flock is Tracking People, Not Just Cars | 404 Media

Could We Detect Other Universes? | Q&A 443 | Fraser Cain

The First Exomoon/Exosatellite Discovered … And its Weird | John Michael Godier

Will non-alcoholic wine save the winemakers? | DW Documentary

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Bitcoin’s $70K Breakout Will Be DECIDED in the Next 72 HOURS | The Wolf of All Streets

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We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in under 30 Seconds. 🫥 | Benn Jordan

• Brickbat: Unlicensed Search [Reason Magazine]
• Police say Flock cameras help solve crimes, but critics call them an invasion of privacy [PBS News]

• Schmidt v. Norfolk [ACLU]

• Chatrie v. United States [SCOTUSblog]

• Under Surveillance: Constitutional Concerns Surrounding Flock Cameras [North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology]

• Research Report on Automatic License Plate Readers: Legal Status and Policy Recommendations for Law Enforcement Use [Brennan Cebnter for Justice]

This Flock Camera Leak is like Netflix For Stalkers | Benn Jordan and 404 Media

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Public Records Request for Macon County Flock Safety Cameras

As an independent citizen journalist covering local government in Macon County for over 16 years, I have submitted a public records request to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office for documents related to the Flock Safety automated license plate reader system. This request seeks contracts, board approvals, usage policies, camera locations, performance data, and related correspondence to promote full transparency and public accountability in how this surveillance technology is funded, deployed, and operated with taxpayer resources. By making these records available, we can separate facts from myths, address community concerns about privacy and effectiveness, and ensure informed civic dialogue about tools that impact public safety and individual rights in our rural mountain community.

Sheriff’s Office Public Records Custodian,

Pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 132), I request the following records related to Flock Safety (or any automated license plate reader/ALPR system):

1. All contracts, agreements, amendments, proposals, invoices, payment records, and correspondence between Macon County Sheriff’s Office (or County) and Flock Safety (or Flock Group, Inc.), including any subscription, installation, maintenance, or data access terms.
2. Board of Commissioners agendas, minutes, resolutions, motions, or approvals authorizing the purchase, funding, or use of Flock cameras (including budget line items from FY 2023–2024 onward).
3. Policies, procedures, manuals, training materials, or guidelines for use of the Flock system by Sheriff’s Office personnel (including access controls, data retention, audit logs, and privacy protections).
4. Any usage statistics, reports, or summaries on camera performance, alerts generated, cases assisted, or data shared (redacted as necessary for law enforcement sensitivity).
5. Location list or map of all deployed Flock cameras in Macon County.
6. Any privacy impact assessments, legal opinions, or correspondence regarding compliance with NC law or data sharing.

Preferred format: Electronic copies (PDF/email) where possible. I am willing to pay reasonable costs; please notify me in advance if fees will exceed $50.

Please provide these records as soon as practicable. If any portion is denied, please provide a written explanation with the specific legal basis and contact information for appeal.

Thank you for your assistance. I can be reached at robertciogginsjr@gmail.com.

Sincerely, Bobby Coggins, Publisher Macon Media [robertciogginsjr@gmail.com]

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