Weather Briefing for Tuesday, January 21, 2025

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SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS (TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2025)

Highlands School will be operating on a one-hour delay.

FRANKLIN AREA SCHOOLS

"Due to the forecasted single-digit temperatures, Macon County Schools-Franklin area will operate on a two-hour delay tomorrow, Tuesday, January 21st. The extreme cold conditions will prevent buses from starting on time, and additional idle time is necessary to ensure the fleet runs safely and effectively. Please plan accordingly and stay warm!"

NANTAHALA SCHOOL

"Due to icy road conditions, there will be no school for Nantahala School students on Tuesday, January 21. It will be an optional work day for staff."

HIGHLANDS SCHOOL

"No announcement made by the school system."

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GENERAL OUTLOOK

Arctic high pressure centered over the area will keep bitter cold temperatures across the region through at least mid week. A low pressure system will track from the northern Gulf of Mexico to just off the Southeast Coast today through tomorrow. This may bring light snow to areas along and south of I-85 with light accumulations possible. The airmass will gradually modify by this weekend with temperatures returning to around normal along with a return of precipitation chances Sunday.

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WEATHER SPONSOR

This space available

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DAY SPONSOR

This space available

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GENERAL FORECAST

(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. Cold with highs in the mid 20s. Winds out of the northwest around 5 mph.
..TONIGHT...Mostly cloudy in the evening, then clearing. Cold with lows around 6 above. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5 below.
..WEDNESDAY...Sunny. Highs in the lower 30s. Winds out of the east around 5 mph, becoming south in the afternoon.
..WEDNESDAY NIGHT...Mostly clear. Cold with lows around 13. Winds out of the south around 5 mph.
..THURSDAY...Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.
..THURSDAY NIGHT...Partly cloudy. Cold with lows 15 to 20.

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HAZARDOUS WEATHER

The arctic air mass remains in place tonight leading to another round of very cold temperatures and wind chills.

The arctic air mass remains over the area through Wednesday allowing very cold temperatures to continue, especially each night and morning. Some higher elevations of the North Carolina mountains will likely not see temperatures rise back above freezing until Saturday.

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NEWS UPDATES

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See moment Donald Trump is sworn in as 47th US president | CNN



President Donald Trump 2025 Inaugural Address FULL SPEECH | C-SPAN



WATCH: Trump Inauguration 2025, Trump parade Capitol One Arena rally, first Executive Orders | LiveNOW From Fox



Trump Inaugural balls 2025: Performances, more | Fox 5 Atlanta



Trump signs pardons for Jan. 6 rioters | NBC News



President Donald Trump signs executive orders at Capital One Arena | WKYC Channel 3



• With a forecast of dangerous winds, LAFD pre-deploys to avoid failings of Palisades fire [Los Angeles Times]

• Freezing temperatures move MLK Day Peace March indoors at St. James AME in Asheville [WLOS-TV (Asheville, NC) ]

• (video) NC homeowners to see 15% insurance rate hike over next two years [WRAL-TV (Raleigh, NC) ]

• NC’s new governor: Temporary jobs program for Helene recovery expands under Stein [Raleigh News and Observer]

• Swannanoa wife, husband killed by Helene honored at MLK Jr. Candlelight Service [Asheville Citizen-Times]

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Support Macon Media

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.



Become a Patron!


Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 5.00am on Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Author: Bobby Coggins

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Live Coverage of the January 6th Committee Final Public Meeting - Stream Starts at 1pm

The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol will be holding its final public hearing today at 1pm. Macon Media has embedded a video player that will stream the C-SPAN version live. There is also a link to the committee website so you can peruse media and documents at your own pace regarding their work. Links to a couple of articles about the hearings have been included and then there are videos of all the public hearings posted below that for those wanting to see and hear the unfiltered public hearing for yourselves. This is as neutral as this outlet can be, to treat our readers as intelligent adults who can, after seeing and hearing all the evidence, make up their own minds about the material presented to them.

"The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty." 

--James Madison, in a letter to George Thomson, 30 June 1825, Letters and other Writings of James Madison (1865) vol. 3

• The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol [US House of Representatives]



LIVE: January 6th Committee Final Public Meeting | C-SPAN





• Jan. 6 Committee to Vote on Criminal Referrals for Donald Trump, Release Summary of Report [WSJ (paywall version)] [WSJ (article archive)]

• January 6 Committee holds final meeting Monday, expected action against Trump, allies [Fox News]

• Jan. 6 committee to unwrap Trump's gifts with final report [MSNBC]




Below are all the public hearings held by the January 6th Committee in chronological order. 

1st Public Hearing - June 9, 2022



2nd Public Hearing - June 13, 2022



3rd Public Hearing - June 16, 2022



4th Public Hearing - June 21, 2022



5th Public Hearing - June 23, 2022



6th Public Hearing - June 28, 2022



7th Public Hearing - July 12, 2022



8th Public Hearing - July 21, 2022



9th Public Hearing - October 13, 2022



Published at 10:00am on Monday, December 19, 2022 

Author: Bobby Coggins

Read More

News and Weather Briefing for Friday, January 7, 2022 Special January 6th Anniversary Section Included

Here is an index to assist you in moving from section to section within the article.

Back to Top
Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
Local and StateNews
Special January 6th Anniversary Section
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
Science and Technology
On This Day
Support Macon Media

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OUTLOOK

Departing low pressure will move northeast off the Mid-Atlantic coast early this morning, with wintry precipitation ending in the mountains. Cold high pressure will build in from the west and north the rest of today and into Saturday. Another chance of precipitation will develop on Sunday as a cold front enters the area from the west, with the front reaching the Carolina coast early Monday. Dry and cold high pressure will settle over our region through the middle of next week.



SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Franklin Area Schools will operate on a two hour delay for Friday, January 7th, 2022.

Nantahala School will operate on a two hour delay for Friday, January 7th, 2022.

Highlands School will be on a two-hour delay for Friday, January 7th, 2022. School will begin at 10:00 am. Please do not drop of students before 9:30 to insure access to the building and proper supervision.
In addition, buses will only pick up students at the following locations: Bus 6 will pick up students at Shortoff Baptist Church on Buck Creek Road at 9:00, and Clear Creek Baptist Church on Blue Valley Road at 9:25. Bus 109 will pick up students at the Scaly Mountain Fire Station on Hale Ridge Road at 9:25.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

...AREAS OF BLACK ICE EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...

Temperatures will fall into the teens and lower 20s across the North Carolina mountains this morning. The combination of light snow accumulations along the higher ridges and near the Tennessee border, as well as water from recent rainfall left to freeze on area roadways, will result in areas of black ice developing. The black ice will produce slippery spots on roadways. Temperatures will likely remain below freezing throughout the day in many mountain areas, allowing slippery conditions to persist.

Use caution if driving today in the North Carolina mountains, especially this morning.


---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---



Weather Sponsor



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.



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Local Weather

General Forecast Through Sunday Night

Franklin Area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Calm winds.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 20s. Calm winds.

Sunday

Showers, mainly after 1pm. Highs in the lower 50s. Light winds out of the south. Chance of rain is 100%.

Sunday Night

Showers, mainly before 11pm. Lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Highlands Plateau

Today

Sunny, with highs near freezing. Winds out of the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows around 20. WInds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph in the early evening becoming calm before midnight.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 30s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 6 mph.

Saturday Night

Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid 20s. Calm winds early in the evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph before midnight.

Sunday

Showers, mainly after 1pm. Highs in the mid 40s. Winds out of the southwest around 5 mph. Chance of rain is 90%.

Sunday Night

Showers, mainly before 11pm. Lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Otto and South Central County

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 30s. Winds out of the north 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Calm winds early in the evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Winds out of the south 3 to 7 mph.

Saturday Night

Increasing clouds, with lows in the mid-to-upper 20s. Light winds out of the southeast.

Sunday

Showers, mainly after 1pm. Highs near 50. Light winds out of the south. Chance of rain is 100%.

Sunday Night

Showers, mainly before 11pm. Lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Nantahala Area

Today

Mostly sunny, with highs near freezing. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with lows around 20. Calm winds.

Saturday

Sunny, with highs in the mid 40s. Light winds out of the east.

Saturday Night

Increasing clouds, with lows around 30. Calm winds early in the evening increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph after midnight.

Sunday

Showers, mainly after 1pm. Highs in the upper 40s. Light winds out of the south. Chance of rain is 100%.

Sunday Night

Showers, mainly before 10pm. Lows around freezing. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

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Hazards and Tropical Weather

Areas of black ice is expected across the county. Please exercise caution as temperatures will likely remain below freezing for most or all day in the county.

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Almanac

Air quality is in the extreme upper range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the extreme upper range of green.

Fire and Smoke Map

Local Air Monitor

Pollen

Pollen levels are expected to be in the low-medium range (0.3 out of 12) today with Juniper being the main culprit. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low range (0.3 out of 12).

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Record Weather Events for January 7th

Record weather events for this date in Macon County
(1872-2016)

Highest Temperature 70°F in Franklin in 1890
lowest Temperature -9°F in Highlands in 2014
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 3.119 inches in Highlands in 1946
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 8.0 inches in Franklin in 1988

Record weather events for December in Macon County

Highest Temperature 78°F in Franklin on Dec 31, 1951
Lowest Temperature -12°F in Highlands on Dec 30, 1917
Greatest Rainfall 6.00 inches in Highlands on Dec 14, 1901
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 12.0 inches in Franklin on Dec 21, 1876

All-time record weather events for Macon County

Highest Temperature 101°F in Franklin on Jul 29, 1952
Lowest Temperature -19°F in Highlands on Jan 21, 1985
Greatest Rainfall 21.15 inches in Highlands on Jul 29, 1879
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 25.5 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station on Mar 13, 1993

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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)

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THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

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Local and State News

COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 15, 2021]

• Franklin man convicted of purposefully setting 90-acre Cals Creek Fire in 2020 [Asheville Citizen-Times]

Macon Media Coverage of the Fire:

April 4th, 2020



April 5th, 2020



• 1 year later: Mountain residents share thoughts on attack on US Capitol [WLOS-TV Asheville]

• Top GOP lawmaker relied on secret maps, later destroyed, NC gerrymandering trial reveals [Raleigh News and Observer]

• NC hospitals say nearly all COVID-19 patients on ventilators are unvaccinated [WRAL-TV Raleigh]

• Son of North Carolina police officer shot by father has died [WNDU-TV South Bend, IN]

Franklin Town Council - January 2022 Regular Meeting

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Special January 6th Anniversary Section

Video from a Parler User

• News and Weather Briefing for Thursday, January 7, 2021: US Capitol Building Occupied by Protesters [Macon Media]

Macon Media play by play on Facebook as Events Unfolded [Facebook]



Joint Session of Congress for Counting of Electoral College Ballots



• What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol [ProPublica]

Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations



President Biden on January 6th U.S. Capitol Attack Anniversary (FULL REMARKS)



• Division reigns over Jan. 6 anniversary [The Hill]

• Biden condemns Trump and his allies as a danger to democracy on the anniversary of the Capitol insurrection [CHRON]

WATCH LIVE: Schumer, McConnell speak on Senate floor ahead of Jan. 6 anniversary



• Ted Cruz Calling Jan. 6 a 'Violent Terrorist Attack' Leaves Trump Supporters Outraged [Newsweek]

• Democrats quietly explore barring Trump from office over Jan. 6 [The Hill]

• Ex-Trumpers set to plot how to try and take down Trump [Politico]

• Senate Impeachment Trial: January 6 Video Montage [Youtube (Age Restricted)]

• title [SOURCE]

• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/01/06/new-civil-war-about-what-exactly-526603 [Politico]

U.S. Capitol Police Chief: "If January 6th taught us anything, it’s that preparation matters."



Trump's American Carnage (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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National and World News Roundup

• Venmo, PayPal and Zelle must report $600+ in transactions to IRS [NBC News]

• 'We're done. This is the end of the 2020 election': Maricopa County officials rebut error-plagued review [CNN]

• Planned Parenthood Statement on Arson at Knoxville Health Center [Planned Parenthood]

• Woman tied to Jan. 6 Capitol riot involved in fatal crash [AP News]

• California school superintendent targeted with death threats for investigating photo of kids with swastikas [UK Independent]

• North Korea successfully tested hypersonic missile, says report [BBC News]

NBC Nightly News Full Broadcast - January 6th, 2021



PBS NewsHour Full Episode January 6th, 2021

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COVID-19 News and Updates

Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.

COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [November 18, 2021]

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• WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard [World Health Organization]

Globally, as of 6:18pm CET, 4 January 2022, there have been 290,959,019 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 5,446,753 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 3 January 2022, a total of 8,693,832,171 vaccine doses have been administered.
In United States of America, from 3 January 2020 to 6:18pm CET, 4 January 2022, there have been 54,910,550 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 819,656 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 23 December 2021, a total of 485,274,895 vaccine doses have been administered.

Dr John Campbell: US hits a million cases



• WHO: Record weekly jump in COVID-19 cases but fewer deaths [ABC News]

• ‘Flurona’ is an emerging condition of concern among doctors [WTOP-AM Washington, DC]

• A Texas team comes up with a COVID vaccine that could be a global game changer [NPR]



• ‘Paramount importance’: Judge orders FDA to hasten release of Pfizer vaccine docs [Reuters]

• Cherokee Nation in 'crisis mode' as omicron spreads [KTUL-TV Tulsa]

• DeSantis admits to finding 1 million expired COVID-19 tests stockpiled in warehouse [WBBH-TV Fort Meyers]

• Postal Service requests temporary exemption from Biden's vaccine rule [NBC News]

• Monitoring COVID-19 Variants

[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

[Outbreak.info]

• CDC Releases Emergency Guidance for Healthcare Facilities to Prepare for Potential Omicron Surge [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

• COVID-19 case rates by county in 2021 [AXIOS]

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Science and Technology News Roundup

Starlink Launch Jan 6th, 2022



• SpaceX lofts 49 Starlink internet satellites to orbit in 1st launch of 2022 [Space.comE]

• SpaceX’s Starlink internet service has more than 145,000 users so far [CNBC]

• Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Pay Rises to $98.7M in 2021 [The Hollywood Reporter]

• Crypto scammers took a record $14 billion in 2021 [NBC News]

• Thieves Steal Gallery Owner’s Multimillion-Dollar NFT Collection: ‘All My Apes Gone’ [ARTnews]

• Sonos wins major patent infringement victory against Google [The Verge]

• Chinese space station reaches for next stage of construction with robotic arm test [SOURCE]

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Tech Podcasts The New Dawn: The Orion Project Spaceship Revitalized



Dr Strangeport: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Displayport KVMs



What will happen to Linux in 2022? A few predictions!



The Worlds Biggest Telescopes Through History - From Galileo to Gran Telescopio Canarias

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On This Day

January 7th is the 7th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 358 days remain until the end of the year (359 in leap years).

Historical Events

(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)




49 BC –The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting.

• [Wikipedia: Caesar's Civil War]
• [Caesar against Pompey - Great Roman Civil War DOCUMENTARY]
• [Youtuber: HBO Rome Fictionalized Account]



1325 – Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal.

1558 – French troops, led by Francis, Duke of Guise, take Calais, the last continental possession of England.

1608 – Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia.

1610 – Galileo Galilei makes his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa, although he is not able to distinguish the last two until the following day.

• [The Discovery of the Galilean Satellites]
• [How Galileo Unlocked The Doors to the Universe | Galileo Galilei]
• [Galileo Galilei: Father of Modern Science]
• [The Worlds Biggest Telescopes Through History - From Galileo to Gran Telescopio Canarias]



1738 – A peace treaty is signed between Peshwa Bajirao and Jai Singh II following Maratha victory in the Battle of Bhopal.

1782 – The first American commercial bank, the Bank of North America, opens.

1785 – Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in a gas balloon.

1835 – HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin on board, drops anchor off the Chonos Archipelago.

1894 – Thomas Edison makes a kinetoscopic film of someone sneezing. On the same day, his employee, William Kennedy Dickson, receives a patent for motion picture film.

1904 – The distress signal "CQD" is established only to be replaced two years later by "SOS".

1919 – Montenegrin guerrilla fighters rebel against the planned annexation of Montenegro by Serbia, but fail.

1920 – The New York State Assembly refuses to seat five duly elected Socialist assemblymen.

1922 – Dáil Éireann ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by a 64–57 vote.

1927 – The first transatlantic commercial telephone service is established from New York City to London.

1928 – A disastrous flood of the River Thames kills 14 people and causes extensive damage to much of riverside London.

1931 – Guy Menzies flies the first solo non-stop trans-Tasman flight (from Australia to New Zealand) in 11 hours and 45 minutes, crash-landing on New Zealand's west coast.

1935 – Benito Mussolini and French Foreign minister Pierre Laval sign the Franco-Italian Agreement.

1940 – Winter War: Battle of Raate Road: The Finnish 9th Division finally defeat the numerically superior Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road.

• [Wikipedia: Battle of Raate Road]
• [The Battle of Raate Road]
• [Winter War - Soviet Finnish 1939-1940 War - FULL 3d DOCUMENTARY]



1948 – Kentucky Air National Guard pilot Thomas Mantell crashes while in pursuit of a supposed UFO.

1954 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York at the head office of IBM.

1955 – Contralto Marian Anderson becomes the first person of color to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.

1959 – The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.

1968 – Surveyor Program: Surveyor 7, the last spacecraft in the Surveyor series, lifts off from launch complex 36A, Cape Canaveral.

1972 – Iberia Flight 602 crashes near Ibiza Airport, killing all 104 people on board.

1973 – In his second shooting spree of the week, Mark Essex fatally shoots seven people and wounds five others at Howard Johnson's Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana, before being shot to death by police officers.

1979 – Third Indochina War: Cambodian–Vietnamese War: Phnom Penh falls to the advancing Vietnamese troops, driving out Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

• [Investopedia: The Chrysler Bailout of 1979: A Retrospective]
• [NBC Video: Chrysler Loan Hearing NBC 12/18/79]
• [Washington Post: The Bottom-Line Details Of the Chrysler BailoutT]
• [New York Times Archive]



1984 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

1985 – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency launches Sakigake, Japan's first interplanetary spacecraft and the first deep space probe to be launched by any country other than the United States or the Soviet Union.

1991 – Roger Lafontant, former leader of the Tonton Macoute in Haiti under François Duvalier, attempts a coup d'état, which ends in his arrest.

1993 – The Fourth Republic of Ghana is inaugurated with Jerry Rawlings as President.

1993 – Bosnian War: The Bosnian Army executes a surprise attack at the village of Kravica in Srebrenica.

1994 – A British Aerospace Jetstream 41 operating as United Express Flight 6291 crashes in Gahanna, Ohio, killing five of the eight people on board.

1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton begins.

2012 – A hot air balloon crashes near Carterton, New Zealand, killing all 11 people on board.

2015 – Two gunmen commit mass murder at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, shooting twelve people execution style, and wounding eleven others.

2015 – A car bomb explodes outside a police college in the Yemeni capital Sana'a with at least 38 people reported dead and more than 63 injured.

2020 – The 6.4Mw  2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes kill four and injure nine in southern Puerto Rico.

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Support Macon Media

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.

Become a Patron!


Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia


Published at 7:00am on Friday, January 7, 2021
Author: Bobby Coggins


Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top

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Weather Briefing for Wednesday, February 3, 2021

OUTLOOK

This is an abbreviated news and weather briefing.

Drier and somewhat warmer weather is expected today and Thursday. Increased moisture and upper support will drive additional clouds and a chance for rainfall ahead of a cold front on Friday. Dry and near-normal temperatures expected Saturday, while discrepancy in model guidance introduces a tricky forecast heading into the second half of the weekend and beyond.

News Highlights



• Nantahala Schhol will be having a Virtual Day today (Wednesday, Feb 3rd) due to weather concerns.
• Macon County Reports Additional Death Related to COVID-19 [LINK]

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden pay respects to fallen Capitol Police officer



Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick Lies In Honor At Capitol



• New COVID-19 ACA Special Enrollment Period: Feb. 15th – May 15th [LINK]

• The Franklin Town Council met Monday at 6pm. [LINK]



---BEGIN SPONSOR SEGMENT---



Weather Sponsor



Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.


--- END SPONSOR SEGMENT---


General forecast through Friday Night


Franklin area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 01. Calm winds.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with highs in the lower 50s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Rain, mainly after 11pm. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the south 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday

Rain likely, mainly before 10am. Partly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the lower 20s.

Highlands area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the upper 30s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 208 mph.

Thursday

Increasing clouds, with highs in the lower 40s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Freezing rain likely before midnight, then rain or freezing rain between midnight and 3am, then rain after 3am. Lows around freezing. WInds out of the south 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday

Rain, mainly before 10am. Highs near 40. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 201.

Otto area

Today

Sunny, with highs in the mid-40s. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the lower 20s. WInds out of the northwest around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight.

Thursday

Increasing clouds, with highs near 50. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night

Rain, mainly after 11pm. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday

Rain, mainly before 10am. Highs in the upper 40s. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s.

Nantahala area

Today

Sunny, with highs near 40. Winds out of the northwest 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, with lows around 201. Light and variable winds.

Thursday

Increasing clouds, with highs in the upper 40s. Light and variable winds.

Thursday Night

Rain, mainly after 11pm. Lows in the mid-30s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday

Rain likely, mainly before 10am. Mostly sunny, with highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with lows in the mid-20s.



HAZARDS

Wind Advisory
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
347 AM EST Wed Feb 3 2021

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST THIS MORNING...

* WHAT...Northwest winds 10 to 25 mph with gusts of 35 to 45 mph.

* WHERE...The South Carolina mountains, Rabun County Georgia, Haywood, Southern Jackson, Madison, Macon and Transylvania Counties in North Carolina.

* WHEN...Until 7 AM EST this morning.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.





COVID-19 BRIEFING

Episode #41 Osterholm Update COVID-19: Surrender is Not an Option (January 20, 2021 update)



In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss the issue of opening schools, updates on variants of concern, and more news on vaccines and their distribution.

Email us your questions: [OsterholmUpdate@umn.edu]

• Governor Cooper extended the Modified Stay at Home Order last week, including the evictions moratorium and to-go and delivery sales for mixed beverages. These Orders are intended to help struggling families and businesses during the pandemic. [LINK]

See the Biden Administration COVID-19 Plan [LINK]



COVID-19 in Macon County

Vaccine Appointments Being Rescheduled Due to Limited Supply

Due to inadequate supply of COVID-19 vaccine from NC DHHS, Macon County Public Health must reschedule first dose appointments. Those who have already scheduled appointments for their first dose of vaccine have been moved to the front of Macon County Public Health's COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List. Macon County Public Health will contact those on the waitlist as vaccine becomes available to reschedule your appointment. There are approximately 3,000 individuals on the Macon County Vaccine Wait List.

Macon County will be receiving 300 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state each week for the next three weeks. This number is based on population size in Macon County. We appreciate your patience in this unprecedented time. For questions, you can call 828-524-1500, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm.

Regardless of which group you fall under, you can register for the COVID-19 Vaccine Wait List at https://gis2.maconnc.org/VAX/VAX.html. When the group you fall under is eligible for vaccination, a member of the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center will contact you to schedule your appointment.

NCDHHS updates its website to reflect the current group eligible for vaccine. You can view the site at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard/vaccinations. Macon County Public Health will update its social media pages to alert the public when the state and county advance to the next group of vaccination. At this time, Macon County Public Health and NCDHHS are not scheduling individuals for vaccination in groups other than Groups 1 and 2.

At the January 25th school board meeting, Superintendent Dr Baldwin informed board members that 158 students and 22 staff out of school due to either being tested positive for COVID-19, or having to be isolated due to possible exposure.

NEW POSITIVE COVID-19 PUBLIC SCHOOL CASES (Feb 2nd)

Franklin High School-5
Highlands School-11


Here are the latest COVID-19 Numbers and Demographics Report from Macon Public Health, along with a couple of charts by Macon Media to show you the long-term trends since April 17th. The health department has started releasing information about vaccine delivery, so those numbers will be included here also, as well as charted.


VACCINE DELIVERY
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published, or offsite vaccine clinics that may not be reported until the day after)

Vaccines Given Tuesday 0, Tuesday 0
Current Inventory Tuesday 400, Tuesday 0
Total Vaccines Given Tuesday 2515, Tuesday 2515
(note--these numbers are on the day reported, not necessarily given since some shots may be given after the daily report is published)

Last Week

Category	Mon 01-25	Tue 01-26	Wed 01-27	Thu 01-28	Fri 01-29	Average
Vaccines Given	100	95	92	90	60	87.4
Current Inventory	120	230	140	50	0	108
Total Vaccines Given	2178	2273	2365	2455	2515	Not Applicable

COVD-19 Known Cases and Testing

Cases

2737 Detected
(+18 from Monday and +160 from last Tuesday and +917 from four weeks ago)

525 Active
(-3 from Monday and +6 last Tuesday and -1 from four weeks ago)

2193 Recovered
(+205 from Monday and +1531 last Tuesday and +911 from four weeks ago)

19 Deaths
(+1 from Monday and +1 from last Tuesday and +7 from four weeks ago)

Testing

8813 by MCPH
+33 from Monday and +243 from last Tuesday and +899 from four weeks ago)

7192 by Others
(+17 from Monday and +300 from last Tuesday and +2014 from four weeks ago)

16005 total
(+50 from Monday and +543 from last Tuesday and +2913 from four weeks ago)

245 tests pending results
(+unchanged from Monday and -414 from last Tuesday and +118 from four weeks ago)

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Published at 5:15am on Wednesday, February 3, 2021

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