News and Weather Briefing for Wednesday, July 22, 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.…Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.TONIGHT.…Showers with thunderstorms likely in the evening, then showers with a chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. lows in the upper 60s. Southwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.

.THURSDAY.…Showers. A chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Patchy fog. Humid with highs in the upper 70s. Southwest winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain near 100 percent.

.THURSDAY NIGHT.…Thunderstorms likely in the evening. Showers likely. Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent. .FRIDAY…Showers likely in the morning, then showers with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. South winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.

.FRIDAY NIGHT.…Showers with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then showers likely after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 80 percent.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER

The severe storm threat continues today but chance is lower. Forecast heavy rainfall the threat for isolated flash flooding continues, but the best locations and timing remain uncertain.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low range (1.0 out of 12) today with Grasses, Plantain, Chenopods being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (2.2 out of 3.0).

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(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)

Benefit for Randy Drinnon
July 25th at 5pm
Learn more on Facebook

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

7-25-2026—Bill Petersen will be singing the blues along with maybe some originals. Then, up from Florida, hear John Bois and the Emotional Support Band.

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 97°F in Franklin in 1952
Lowest Temperature 46°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1947
Greatest Rainfall 2.24 inches in Highlands in 1979

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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North Carolina to offer elk hunting permits | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC

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Lettuce not being tested in NC as possible cyclospora link | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

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ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – July 21, 2026 | ABC News

NBC Nightly News Full Episode – July 21 | NBC News

• 5 takeaways from Hegseth, Caine hearing on emergency Iran funding [The Hill]
• Ex-Army soldier jailed on arson charge after fiery attack on Manhattan federal building [AP News]
• Wreckage of Pan Am plane found 74 years after it crashed off Puerto Rico [Yahoo News]

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What the Ship (Ep145) | Geopolitics Afloat | Low Water | Dark Fleet | Arctic | US Shipping | What’s Going on With Shipping?

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War threatens fragile Gulf-Iran diplomacy | DW News

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Ukraine’s Naval Blitz – The Azov Sea Escalation, Russian Retaliation & Export Economics | Perun

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WTF Is Happening to South Korea | Andrei Jikh

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What Are the Limits of Human Knowledge? | Isaac Arthur

• A SpaceX rocket is about to crash into the moon—scientists will be watching [Scientific American]
• The Case of the Sun’s Missing Silver [Universe Today]
• Scientists found two powerful new ways to destroy forever chemicals [ScienceDaily]
• This Week’s Sky at a Glance, July 17 – 26 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]

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What’s The Difference Between Dolby Cinema And IMAX? | Engadget

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We Asked the Universe About Dark Energy Again. It Gave the Same Strange Answer | PBS Space Time

What Would It Cost to Keep The ISS Up? | Q&A 441 | Fraser Cain

Why the Lunar-Mass Primordial Black Hole Discovery Was Just Debunked | Anton Petrov

Nigeria’s mysterious art treasures | DW Documentary

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Bitcoin to $70K THIS MONTH? History Says Yes. | 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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