A historic partnership intended to connect high schoolers with future employment opportunities and further economic development in Macon County has been solidified after commissioners approved funding for the Macon PULSE program this month. 

After an outpouring of opposition from members of the public over the course of several county commission meetings, Macon County Commissioners chose to table a vote on the flood damage prevention, soil erosion and sedimentation control and water supply watershed protection ordinances for meetings over the next several months. 

A program on Cherokee culture will be presented at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.

Every student in Haywood and Jackson County Schools can expect no cost breakfast and lunch in the coming school year, and Macon County is not far behind in meeting that mark as well. 

A proposed change to Macon County’s floodplain regulation has prompted outcry from the public and rippled across the county government. 

The Macon County School Board has voted to require students to play high school sports at the school where they are enrolled beginning in the 2025-26 school year, meaning Macon Early College and Bartram Academy students will no longer be eligible for athletics at Franklin High School. 

SECU Foundation recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to Vecinos for a new medical center and human services hub in Macon County.

To the Editor:

The following comments relate to the ongoing discussion about changing the Macon County floodplain ordinance to allow fill to be added. The answer to the added fill question should be a resounding “no” for reasons that I will cite below. 

After several lengthy discussions, Macon County Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget by a split vote with a couple of last-minute changes to the proposed document. 

When it comes to staying the course, First United Methodist Church (FUMC), Franklin has a long history of supporting those in need in Macon County (and beyond) through its mission projects and fundraisers.