News and Weather Briefing for Friday, August 07, 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. Patchy fog this morning. A slight chance of showers this morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds, becoming south around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.SATURDAY…Areas of fog in the morning. Mostly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 90 percent.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.

a.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER

Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected each afternoon through the weekend. Locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds will be primary storm threats.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (5.2 out of 12) today with Grasses and Nettle being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-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

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 Highlands in 1930

Lowest Temperature 43°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1950

Greatest Rainfall 3.64 inches in Highlands in 1937

Record weather events for August in Macon County

Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on Aug 9, 1980
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Aug 29, 1968
Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on Aug 13, 1940
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873

Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of August

Highest Temperature 110°F Fayetteville, Cumberland County Aug 21, 1983
Lowest Temperature 31°F Banner Elk, Avery County Aug 23, 1930
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 12.43 in Morehead City, Carteret County Aug 12, 1955

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• Learning about night creatures [The Franklin Press]
• Ice cream competition, Jack the Dipper returning to Franklin on Main [Macon Sense]
• North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd pushes to keep federal hemp THC ban on track [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]

NC hemp ban bill stalls, giving dispensaries a temporary victory Asheville Citizen-Times (Asheville, NC) ]
• Haywood commissioners briefed on emergency flood sirens [Smoky Mountain News]
• In cringeworthy detail, House Ethics panel urges censure of Chuck Edwards for sexual harassment of 2 female staffers [Asheville Watchdog ]

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NC survey shows fewer fights, weapons in schools; mental health concerns linger | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

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ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – August 8, 2026 | ABC News

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode – August 6 | NBC News

Senate Committee Votes to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in Contempt of Congress | C-SPAN

Washington Today (8-6-26): Senate Cmte holds Dr. Fauci in contempt for taking Fifth at COVID hearing | C_SPAN

• Trump is resurrecting the Red Scare [UK Telegraph]
• Trump orders limits on birthright citizenship, targets ‘birth tourism’ [The Hill]
• McConnell says he’s leaving rehabilitation center to continue recovery at home [AP News]
• Jeanine Pirro faces the choice many Trump officials confront at one point or another [Yahoo News]

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The devil lives in a really weird cave in the Appalachians | TheGeoModels

How Metamaterials Can Help Moon Rovers Survive Both Days and Nights [NIAC 2026] | Fraser Cain

Janissaries: The Child Levy That Built an Empire | Kings and Generals

Is America prepared for biological war? | PBS NewsHour

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Gold Path for 2026 [Update] | Benjamin Cowen

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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 [robertcogginsjr@gmail.com]↑ Back to Top