Members of the community gathered around Town Square last Friday to honor North Carolina Law Enforcement Officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2012.
Master of Ceremonies Al Caiata, Sergeant At Arms, FOP Lodge #81, led the ceremony to remember the fallen officers.
Guest Speaker Congressman Mark Meadows addressed the crowd to share his gratitude for the service of all the officers that protect the citizens of North Carolina.
Grand Jury hands down 56 True Bills of Indictment
Fifty-six True Bills of Indictments were handed down against Christopher Burk of Franklin on Monday after a special called session of the Macon County Grand Jury was conducted.
According to Macon County Sheriff Robbie Holland, investigators with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and State Bureau of Investigation provided testimony against defendant Burk during the session that resulted in 56 of 56 True Bills of Indictment being handed down by the Grand Jury.
Children at East Franklin Elementary poured into the gym last Thursday to be fitted for a brand new pair of Nike tennis shoes. Biltmore Baptist Church, based in Arden, worked with school officials to target the students who would benefit the most from the give-away.
“Biltmore Baptist Church understands that there are needs throughout the community but after working with Macon County Board of Education we determined that the greatest need at the time would be with East Franklin Elementary,” said Amanda Bullman, communications project coordinator for Biltmore Baptist Church.
Franklin was bursting with color on Saturday, May 11, for the third annual Airing of the Quilts celebration.
Homeowners and businesses alike participated in the event, with hundreds of quilts on display downtown and throughout Franklin.
The event grew this year, with newly added workshops, demonstrations, presentations, a wreath laying ceremony by the Daughters of the Confederation and Civil War reenactors.
The celebration takes place every year on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.
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On Saturday, April 13, a group of about 50 volunteers comprised of a diverse group of citizens from the Franklin and Highlands areas joined forces to clean up the Cullasaja River Gorge's roadsides and river banks.
This initiative is one of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce's ongoing annual projects to help keep area natural resources clean. The cleanup takes place every spring during the NCDOT's clean sweep week and has been headed up by the Highlands Chamber for the last 10 years.
This year, members of Venture Local Franklin, Franklin Chamber of Commerce staff/board members, Stay And Play in the Smokies, and others joined in to make an even bigger impact on this stretch of the “Mountain Waters Scenic Byway.” Of the 50 volunteers on Saturday, 20 volunteers represented Franklin.
"Franklin and Highlands market this same stretch of scenic highway for tourism and recreation purposes, and its very important for both communities to keep the roadsides of Highway 64 as beautiful as the natural assets that surround them,” said volunteer Matt Bateman. “So we decided to reach out to Jennifer Smathers at the Highlands Chamber Visitor Center to join forces."
Bateman, who is a member of Venture Local Franklin (VLF) and tour guide, believes it is important to build a mutual cooperation to take full ownership in maintaining the natural beauty of the roadside. "One of VLF's goals is to continue to reach out to other groups and entities within Franklin and beyond, so we can work together on moving Franklin forward in a positive direction," said Bateman.
The combined effort bagged litter from just above Cullasaja Falls, all the way up to the city limits of Highlands. More than 100 bags were filled by volunteers and hauled away by the U.S. Forest Service.
Main Street Coffee & Tea in downtown Franklin donated coffee for the volunteers of Franklin, while Bill and Sharon Van Horn donated bagels from Dills Creek Bagel Co. also of Franklin.
To finish the day, volunteers were treated to a cookout provided by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce at the Cliffside Lake Recreation Area.
