News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, August 27, 2026
• Back to School Safety Tips for the 2026-2027 School Year [Macon Media] • Town of Franklin Asks Residents to Observe Voluntary Water Restrictions [Macon Media] • Nine N.C. counties in exceptional drought as statewide drought continues [Macon Media] WEATHER OUTLOOK 1. Daily shower and thunderstorm chances continue through the weekend. Locally heavy rainfall and a few strong storms will be possible this afternoon and evening, and again on Friday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2. A drying and warming trend is expected early next week, with hot temperatures and increased humidity by midweek.
SPONSORSHIPS
WEATHER SPONSOR
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(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. Areas of fog this morning. Showers and thunderstorms likely this afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Light and variable winds, becoming southwest around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent. .TONIGHT.…A chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Southwest winds around 5 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 50 percent.
FORECAST
.FRIDAY.…Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.
.FRIDAY NIGHT.…Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. Light and variable winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.
.SATURDAY.…Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 80. Light and variable winds, becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain 60 percent.
.SATURDAY NIGHT.…Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected for late this afternoon. Some of these storms may produce strong and gusty winds.
Hot and muggy conditions return for early next week.
POLLEN REPORT
Pollen levels are expected to be n the medium-high (7.7 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the medium-high range (7.8 out of 12.0)
(send your event to editor@maconmedia.com)
MACON CALENDAR
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CULLASAJA GORGE FIRE AND RESCUE
New Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593295280100
All are welcome for an Open House on Aug 29th.
Hotdog dinner for donations only.
Come out to see the Firehouse with kid-friendly activities
and a state-of-the-art smoke trailer.
9 AM – 7 PM on 29th of August
3 PM VEHICLE TRAINING DEMO
HOTDOG DINNER ALL DAY
(828) 369-5010
104 River Rd
Franklin, NC 28734
Friends of the Greenway would like to invite you to our Christmas in July sale, July 22-25, 9-2 each day. Do some Christmas shopping early with 20% off everything in the Gift Shop. On Saturday, July 25th, have a Christmas cookie and enjoy great music from 11-1. Greenway Visitor Center/FROG Quarters, 573 E Main St, Franklin.
The many ways you can connect to Mountain Findings to arrange donation pick-ups, drop-off location, shopping hours, volunteering, and to learn more on our community grants programs and graduating seniors scholarships.
Facebook: @MountainFindings
Phone: 828-526-9929
Email: MountainFindings1@gmail.com
Webpage: MountainFindings.org
Location: 452 Spruce St, Highlands, NC
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.
WEATHER ALMANAC
Record Weather Events for this date in Macon County (1872-2025)
Highest Temperature 94°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 2023
Lowest Temperature 42°F in Highlands in 1919
Greatest Rainfall 1.88 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1995
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
WNC News
• Honoring the Memory of Dolly Parton: Flags at Half Staff From August 25 to September 1 at Sunset [Macon Media]
Protesters plan Asheville events ahead of G20 meeting | WLOS-TV (Asheville), NC
• Asheville police lose Flock camera access after city council votes to end contract [WLOS-TV Asheville, NC ]
• Asheville activists plan demonstrations as G20 meets at Omni Grove Park Inn [Asheville Citizen-Times]
• Jackson implements data center moratorium [Smoky Mountain News]
• Lawsuit alleges failure during routine surgery led to patient death at Mission Hospital [Asheville Watchdog ]
Christina Koch closes NC State homecoming with message of ‘grit and self-trust’ | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)
NC News
• Remembering Dolly Parton: Tennessee’s favorite daughter was a good neighbor to North Carolina [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC)]
• Remembering Dolly Parton, the dazzling singer and philanthropist from rural Appalachia [Raleigh News & Observer]
• NC voters trust local elections more than national, poll shows [NC Local]
Music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – Aug. 25, 2026 | ABC News
National News
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode – Aug. 25 | NBC News
Washington Today (8-25-26): Canada to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports; Dolly Parton dies | C-SPAN
Trump nabs crucial primary wins in South Carolina, Oklahoma: 4 takeaways [The Hill]
• The US and Canada could pull back from an all-out trade war. It’s not clear that they will [AP News]
• Judge strikes down Texas ban on drag shows, tells people offended by them ‘just don’t go’ [Yahoo News]
A Message from the Family of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
• Dolly Parton, Superstar Whose Songs Spoke to Millions, Dies at 80 [New York Times]
Dolly Parton Dies at 80 — Here Was Her Faith Legacy | CBN News
• Dolly Parton dies at 80. Latest updates as world remembers Queen of Country [The Tennessean]
Remembering Dolly Parton: All the Good Star Did Through Philanthropy| Entertainment Tonight
Music icon Dolly Parton dies at 80 | CBS News
Tributes paid to Dolly Parton | BBC News
Remembering Dolly Parton, whose artistry and generosity touched generations | PBS NewsHour
David Muir looks back at the life and legacy of Dolly Parton | ABC News
Dolly Parton: Remembering the life, legacy and lyrics of an American icon | NBC News
FAITH, FAMILY, & FAME | Dolly Parton Looks Back at Incredible Career | CBN News
Remembering Dolly Parton: Country music icon dies at 80 | Fox News
Dolly Parton looks back on her life: “There’s very little I would change” (2024) | CBS Mornings
• Dolly Parton’s ‘Faith’ Kept Her Optimistic Until the End: ‘It’s Not Over Until God Says It’s Over’ [People Magazine]
• Dolly Parton’s greatest songs, and the stories behind them [AP News]
• ‘In the Arms of Jesus’: Country Legend Dolly Parton Has Died at 80 [CBN]
What the Ship (Ep 146) | Hormuz, Black Sea & Chokepoint Chaos | Containers | What’s Going on With Shipping?
World News
Will the new cancer vaccine survive RFK Jr’s America? | BBC News
• U.S. preparing for Freedom Edge joint exercise with S. Korea, Japan: U.S. Pacific Command [Yonhap News Agency]
• Trump sends Saudi civil nuclear agreement to Congress for review [France 24]
• Hospital nursery fire kills 14 newborns in Pakistan’s capital, officials order immediate inquiry [AP News]
Can the US cripple Iran without taking on China?| DW News
Iran War News
• Iran Update, August 25, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Iran war live: Iran says Hormuz remains closed despite Oman route deal [AL Jazeera]
• Live Updates: US will hold off on Iran strikes ‘for now,’ Rubio says, IDF strikes southern Lebanon [Jerusalem Post]
Why the CIA chief might have made a secret Moscow visit | DW News
Russo-Ukraine War
Mirage 2000 destroys Russian command post | Military Mind | TVP World
• Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 25, 2026 [Institute for the Study of War]
• Kremlin denies US talks amid reports CIA Director Ratcliffe in Russia [Al Jazeera]
• Putin decree lets Russia take control of infrastructure damaged in Ukrainian drone attacks [AP News]
BOK Signals Caution After Second Straight Rate Hike | Insight with Haslinda Amin 8/27/2026 | Bloomberg Television
Financial News
• What Happens If You Give Everyone $700? A Local Economy Thrives [Yahoo Finance]
• Nvidia earnings takeaways: Huang forecasts 70% fiscal 2028 revenue growth, far above estimates [CNBC]
Partial Lunar Eclipse | August 27-28, 2026 | Griffith Observatory
Science News
• How to see Thursday’s lunar eclipse [Astronomy Magazine]
• TWiV 1350: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin [Microbe TV]
• TWiV 1351: Ebola Virus Brains and Contagious Catfish Cancers [Microbe TV]
• NASA’s Webb Telescope Rules Out Two New Dyson Sphere Candidates [Universe Today]
• Scientists may have finally caught “empty” space changing light [ScienceDaily]
• This Week’s Sky at a Glance, August 21 – 30 [Sky & Telescope Magazine]
Has the Solid State Transformer’s Time Finally Come? | Asianometry
Technology News
• New Twitter launches, says Musk’s X gave up the name [Ars Technica]
• Republican Senator Launches Investigation Into Flock as Backlash Sweeps Country [Gizmodo]
• Anna’s Archive Owes $340 Million, Lost Several Domains, but It’s Still Online [Torrent Freaks]
Were the Sea Peoples Actually Greek? Did Greeks Destroy the Bronze Age? | Kings and Generals
Interesting Videos
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
Ethereum: Dubious Speculation | Benjamin Cowen
CRYPTO & AI NEWS
Bitcoin VS Gold in 2026 | Coin Bureau
• Why the Bitcoin Rally Looks Like a Vote Against the Dollar [Decrypt]
• Bitget CEO isn’t buying the Bitcoin rally — She’s waiting for $50K [Coin Telegraph]
• Bitcoin Price Breaches $81,000 as Bull Market Momentum Builds [Bitcoin.com]
Flock Cameras Are Not Even the Worst Part of the System | TREX LABS
Flock Cameras and Constitutional Rights
• 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
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): 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]
from:
Bobby Coggins
to:
cc:
date:
Jul 11, 2026, 2:13 AM
subject:
Public Records Request – Flock Safety Cameras / ALPR / License Plate Reader Contract & Related Documents – Macon County Sheriff’s Office
mailed-by:
gmail.com
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Published at 6:00am on Thursday, August 27, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
font-size: medium;
Source: http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/wx20260827.html
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