News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, July 16, 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.…Areas of fog this morning. Mostly sunny this morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. North winds around 5 mph this morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.TONIGHT.…Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.FRIDAY.…Patchy fog in the morning. Mostly sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. North winds around 5 mph in the morning, becoming light and variable. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.FRIDAY NIGHT.…Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows in the mid 60s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.SATURDAY.…Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.SATURDAY NIGHT.…Partly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

.SUNDAY.…Partly sunny. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.SUNDAY NIGHT.…Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

.MONDAY.…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER

Hazardous weather is not expected today or tonight.

POLLEN REPORT

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (3.5 out of 12) today with Grasses and Plantain being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (0.5 out of 3.0).

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(send your event to [email protected])

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: [email protected]; 828-369-8488

7-18-26—Two Troubadours…George James and Gary Gibson.

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 96°F in Franklin in 1980
Lowest Temperature 41°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 5.77 inches in Highlands in 1916

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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WNC county’s budget amendment amid state law changes | WLOS-TV Asheville, NC

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Reaction as House lawmakers pass permanent daylight saving time bill | WTVD-TV (Durham, NC)

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Dangerous wildfire smoke for millions: ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – July 15, 2026 | ABC News

NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas – July 15 | Tornado strikes Texas, Train trapped in wildfire | NBC News

• Epstein Files Update: JD Vance Admits Trump Admin ‘Screwed Up’ [Newsweek]
• 100 House Democrats vote to cut off aid to Israel, showcasing party shift [The Hill]
• ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says [AP News]
• Congress might make daylight saving time permanent. Experts say another approach could be even better. [Yahoo News]

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48 Ships in 120 Hours: Ukraine’s Campaign to Cut Off Crimea (+28 more on July 11: A Total of 76) | What’s Going on With Shipping?

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How Iran war is highlighting data center vulnerabilities | DW News

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China’s role in Russia’s war in Ukraine? What the leaked files reveal | World News Tonight | TVP World

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Wall Street Week | The World’s First Trillionaire, Governance Meets Growth, Menopause Market Boom | Bloomberg Television

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China Released First Ever Picture of Earth’s Quasi-Moon Kamo’oalewa | Anton Petrov

• Astronomers Use a Neutron Star Merger to Measure Cosmic Expansion [Universe Today]
• Why the human body has so many design flaws [ScienceDaily]
• Did a Passing Star Shower Us with Comets? [Sky & Telescope Magazine]

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China Lands Its First Rocket // Two Asteroids // Milky Way’s Bigger Than We Thought | Fraser Cain

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Satellites are watching the uplifted beach, and it can tell us something | TheGeoModels

Comparing the Biggest Explosions – Conventional vs Nuclear vs Accidents | Anton Petrov

Illegal dolphin hunting | DW Documentary

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Bitcoin: Dubious Speculation | Benjamin Cowen

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

• How Benn Jordan Discovered Flock’s Cameras Were Left Streaming to the Internet [404 Media]
• The Supreme Court Just Lit a Fuse Under Flock’s License Plate Camera Empire [Yahoo 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 [email protected].

Sincerely, Bobby Coggins, Publisher Macon Media [[email protected]]

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