A workshop will be held at the SCC Macon Cecil L. Groves Center room 107 on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to go over the changes made to the government registration system.

To do business with the government in the past required the yearly the Central Contract Registration/ORCA. This was changed the end of July 2012 to the www.sam.gov system. The new registration has not gone smoothly and many have asked for help. Clark Fields PTAC out of Asheville and Teresa Bouchonnet with the N.C. Military Business Center will try to explain this new process.

Shoppers and thrill seekers turned out in droves to the newly relocated Walmart store, which opened Friday, Oct. 26, at 273 Common Drive, Franklin. The relocation brings approximately 85 new jobs to the area and opportunities for savings for customers. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“I want to voice appreciation and support of the new Walmart store, for the new jobs in the store itself, plus more jobs from the new and expanded businesses surrounding the new store,” said Franklin Town Manager Sam Greenwood. “The new store also means additional property and sales tax revenue for the town and county.”

Macon Bank has been a pillar of the Macon County community since it was first established nearly 90 years ago. On Tuesday, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce Alive After Five event, Macon Bank invited the community to join in celebrating the bank's 90th anniversary. To continue the celebration, Macon Bank handed out popcorn and soft drinks to customers in the drive thru on Friday.

According to Macon Bank President and CEO Roger Plemens, the bank is ecstatic to have had the opportunity to grow over the last 90 years and moving forward, the bank hopes to continue structuring operations to best meet customer needs.

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Offers of a free vacation can be hard to resist, but be skeptical of anyone who promises an all-expensespaid getaway. In many cases, the trip isn’t really free, or the offer turns out to be next to impossible to redeem.

North Carolina consumers have reported getting mailings, phone calls, faxes or emails that claim they’ve won travel prizes such as a free cruise or a pair of airline tickets. You’re then told to attend a travel presentation in person to collect your free gift. The presentation usually includes a high-pressure sales pitch to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a travel club membership. You either wind up having to pay fees before you can claim your “free” trip, or the trip is so difficult to redeem that you’re forced to give up on it.