News and Weather Briefing for Monday, August 31, 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 sunny. Patchy fog this morning. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.

.TONIGHT.…Mostly clear. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds.

.TUESDAY.…Patchy fog in the morning. Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. North winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable.

.TUESDAY NIGHT.…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 60s. Light and variable winds.

.WEDNESDAY.…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. Northeast winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT.…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 60s.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER

Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected across portions of the area during the afternoon and evening hours this weekend. Heavy rainfall may lead to localized flash flooding each day. Afternoon thunderstorms are expected to be isolated in coverage Monday through Thursday.

The heat index may approach hazardous levels for parts of the area Sunday through Thursday.

Hot and muggy conditions return for early next week.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be n the medium-high (9.2 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium-high range (8.6 out of 12.0)

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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 93°F in Franklin in 1957
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1946
Greatest Rainfall 4.11 inches in Highlands in 1893

Record weather events for July 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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G20 meetings put Asheville in global spotlight | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC

• Private equity firm hikes rent for lots at Asheville trailer park [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Community planning sessions zero in on Canton’s future [Smoky Mountain News]
• Pink-slime journalism comes to North Carolina’s Senate race [Asheville Watchdog ]

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Al’s French Fries ends nearly 70-year run at NC State Fair | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

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ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – Aug. 30, 2026 | ABC News

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode – Aug. 30 | NBC News

🚨 Grand Canyon Flash Flooding Disaster | 62 Airlifted, Phantom Ranch Destroyed & Bridge Collapses | Weather Watch USA

Meet the Press Full Episode — August 30 | NBC News

• Republicans ready for ‘very hasty’ ‘Trump-a-palooza’ convention in Texas [The Hill]
• Far-right British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos arrested by US immigration enforcement [AP News]
• Google is getting flak for changing Lake Ontario’s name to Lake America Yahoo News]

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Why the U.S. Military Just Activated the Training Ship Empire State VII to Sail to Diego Garcia | What’s Going on With Shipping?

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Can the US sustain an extended war without weakening its position elsewhere? | DW News

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Deadly Kyiv blast raises questions over weapons storage | DW News

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Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh delivers remarks from Jackson Hole – 8/28/2026 | CNBC Television

US Resumes Strikes On Iran, Warsh Fans Rate Hike Bets | The Asia Trade 8/31/2026 | Bloomberg Television

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We Have Never Seen the Sun Like This Before | Anton Petrov

• How Roman will unlock the universe [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1350: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1351: Ebola Virus Brains and Contagious Catfish Cancers [Microbe TV]
• ESA JUICE probe targets dark Jovian moon Kallichore in 2031 [Universe Today]
• Rocky planets may have formed just 100 million years after the Big Bang [ScienceDaily]
• This Week’s Sky at a Glance, August 28 – September 6 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]

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The Little Ceiling Robots Inside a Semiconductor Fab| Asianometry

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Were the Sea Peoples Actually Greek? Did Greeks Destroy the Bronze Age? | Kings and Generals

Why Kids Can’t Read Anymore | Cold Fusion

Chasing Pluto Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

Why You Can’t Run the Government Like a Business | The Dispatch

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Bitcoin Stalls at the 50 Week Moving Average | Benjamin Cowen

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Flock Cameras Are Not Even the Worst Part of the System | TREX LABS

• 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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