Popular tourist attraction and natural landmark Dry Falls saw extensive renovations of its parking and trails in 2009.

Part one - January through June

January

• Plans for K-4 school were put on hold: County commissioners unanimously agreed at a work session that effects from the economic recession would have to delay construction of the proposed K-4 school slated for the Iotla campus.

County revenue collection was not too far below projected expectations for the fiscal year. However, with an uncertain economic future, commissioners could not readily predict the future stability of revenue. And, while county finances remained resilient, commissioners recognized that many residents are struggling in personal finances and could not withstand an additional tax hike.

“I think we are all in agreement here,” said chairman Ronnie Beale, “the school cannot move forward under current conditions. We’ll always have an open mind and an open heart. If we can find a way to do this without raising taxes, we will be open to suggestions.”

Wayne Proffitt, a man whose name synonymous with the Macon County Fair, passed away in 2009.

Mr. Proffitt taught agriculture at Franklin High School for 44 years and was instrumental in starting the fair, which last year celebrated its 56th year.

Proffitt was well known throughout the community as most of the men who were raised in Franklin likely sat in his classroom at one time or another. An agricultural teacher for 44 years at Franklin High School, Proffitt was also the last surviving charter board member of the Macon County Agricultural Fair. “He was a very special man in a lot of ways, especially to his students,” said Ronnie Beale, a former student and longtime friend of Proffitt. “He taught you things you could carry into your adult life, and any of his students would echo what I’m saying. “He was a person who didn’t command respect, but he received it,” Beale said. “He was a quiet leader. We were rowdy boys, but not in his class.”

• County employment a top priority: At the same work session, commissioners put preserving county employment at the top of their to-do list. The session is typically reserved for outlining goals of the upcoming year, and commissioners focused on revenues and expenses in an effort to identify the future stability of county finances.

Franklin celebrates the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

“I’m surprised and relieved to see we aren’t as off-target as I thought we would be,” said County Manager Jack Horton. “The budget went into effect July 1. After that, it seems like the economy just went to pieces and everyone has had to make adjustments – from the private sector to the federal government.”

• Daycare worker exonerated of sex crimes: A superior court jury found former daycare worker Michael Bradley innocent of all charges of sex crimes against a toddler. Bradley is now free to return to his normal life after a jury of 12 of his peers determined his innocence.

On Friday, Jan. 16, at 4:30 in the afternoon, after hearing testimony from the prosecution and defense witnesses, jurors found the Franklin man not guilty on all charges of sexually assaulting a three-year-old boy in the daycare center he and his wife operated.

On Good Friday, April 6, 2007, Bradley was accused of molesting a three-year-old boy in his care at the Together We Learn day care center on Old Murphy Road.

He and his wife, Connie, owned the center for several years. Michael served as custodian — cleaning, clearing the gutters of leaves, generally helping out as needed. He also filled in as a teacher at least once — a role that got him in trouble. Melrose said it was Bradley’s first day as a teacher, while Assistant District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch, prosecuting for the state, countered that he had taught for at least a month based on attendance records at the center.

The Macon County Airport Authority made the headlines in 2009 with conflict surrounding a proposed runway extension that involved ancient Cherokee Indian burial grounds.

“We were confident they would see the truth once the evidence was presented,” said Bradley’s brother Paul. “All we asked was for the truth to come out, and it finally did. He’s lost everything over this. Thank God it’s over with, but now he has to rebuild his life.”

Defense attorney Mark Melrose likened it to the infamous 1989 Little Rascals case, where daycare workers were accused of horrible crimes against children in Edenton. The similarity, he said, was that an entire community became hysterical at the thought of pedophiles running rampant.

The daycare center was closed amid the allegations on Monday, April 9, 2007, and a private meeting for parents was held within days by the Department of Social Services. No other charges of abuse have surfaced, but the center never reopened.

• Celebrations of Martin Luther King's birthday and the inauguration of President Barack Obama: The month proves to be monumental in history as a new president was sworn in the day after a national holiday commemorating the birth of social leader and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

A recovered artifact.

John R. Hayes, president of the Asheville branch of the NAACP, was the featured speaker at at the commemorative service. In a lively speech, Hayes said we are at the beginning of a new era. “We are now trying to make sure we are all included in ‘We the People,’” he said.

King’s movement of social reform and equal rights for all began in church, said Hayes, taking his listeners through history, illustrating points with quotes from songs, the Bible and America’s founding documents. The Emancipation Proclamation, he said, gave rise to the second American Revolution, and gave hope to African Americans who knew that they were more than 3/5 human.On Monday, the public gathered for Franklin’s annual Peace March. Despite blowing snow, folks walked together up Town Hill for a short program at the square. Referencing President Barack Obama and his multi-cultural heritage, Collins said, “If ever there was a time in history that we can go forward together, we certainly have that now.”

President Obama’s inaugural speech also echoed the sentiments of King, “a day on, not a day off,” with an inventory of tasks that await the nation. While the White House Web page currently states that, “Change has come to America,” the road from King to Obama has been long and fraught with injustice. Poet Elizabeth Alexander said during the inauguration Tuesday, “Say it plain: many have died for this day.”

• FHS athletic director and basketball coach resigns: Doug Plemmons resigned from his coaching position. “This is like deja vu all over again,” the sports legend Yogi Berra once said. Less than a year after stepping down from his position as head coach of the boys’ basketball program at Franklin High School, Doug Plemmons has resigned once again. He turned in a letter of resignation on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009 which became effective at the end of the season. Plemmons was hired as the interim coach on May 31, 2008, following the loss of a newly hired coach set to take Plemmons’ place as head basketball coach. Plemmons came out of resignation when Coach Robert Browning faced DUI charges. The school board, however, decided to conduct a full hiring process with applicants and interviews. The coach would offer no reason other than he wanted to clear the way for the administration to search for his replacement.

Fires were a problem in the early part of the year. A total of 504 acres were burned in two separate fires on Mouse Mountain in Cowee and Cedarcliff Muntain in Otto.

February

• Heritage Village seeks funding: Representatives from the Folk Heritage Association of Macon County began seeking funding for the Living Heritage Village and Farm, a project first envisioned more than six years ago. Chairman Margaret Ramsey said the Folk Heritage Association is ready to go ahead with a feasibility study for the attraction. The vision is to create a village and working farm near the campus of Southwestern Community College on Siler Road. Several authentic buildings such as homesteads and outbuildings, a school house and a church, will be on-site as well as gardens and crops. Staff or volunteers will be dressed in period clothing to direct visitors and show them how to work in the garden or make molasses, according to season.

• Airport extension set to crush important archaeological site: Macon County planned to proceed with an airport extension despite the fact that the property on which the airport sits has been lauded as one of the most historically significant sites in the state. At a special called meeting of the Macon County Airport Authority, an archaeologist was hired to conduct data recovery of Native American artifacts. According to the contract, TRC Environmental Corporation of Chapel Hill would complete the artifact recovery on 25 percent of the five-acre area.

The process would begin depending upon the weather, said Authority Chair Milles Gregory, and would take approximately 90 days. The archaeologist was hired at a cost of approximately $535,000, variant upon findings.

• Budget cuts relieve county from projected $1.4 million deficit: Department heads at the county level located almost $1.4 million in funds which could be moved to a contingency fund to offset revenue shortfalls in Macon County’s budget. It was the first attempt in making cuts and the funds located are almost exactly equal to the year’s predicted budget deficit. In all, $1.26 million was transferred from the county’s 22 departments and another $88,000 is expected in additional health revenues. The shortfall was estimated during the commissioner’s work session in January. An unstable stock market resulted in less than favorable returns on investments and a slowing housing industry has county revenues collected in permitting fees.

Major savings were found in salaries and benefits. In some cases, new positions budgeted for fiscal year 2008- 09 simply have not yet been filled. Also, some positions were not filled until the middle of the year as opposed to the beginning. Instead of allocated money for the salaries of those positions remaining in the departmental budget, it transferred to the contingency fund.

Other areas that were put on hold were uniform purchases, travel, computer supplies and allocations for overtime. The health department was noted for making generous cuts totaling $279,138. County Manager Jack Horton said department heads knew they needed to create a budget they could live with. In addition, he said, the money is simply going into contingency.

• EDC requested Duke funds for business incubator: the Economic Development Commission discussed the availability of money from Duke Energy which could help the business incubator at the industrial park.

Residents of Pauline Avenue protested a proposed 64 apartment affordable housing project on their street.

• Cherokee Chief Michell Hicks responds to Macon County airport project: Hicks announced that the tribe rejected a proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) meant to coordinate a runway expansion at the Macon County Airport.

The agreement was drawn up to mitigate differences between the Federal Aviation Administration, the Macon County Airport Authority, the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma regarding a proposed runway expansion on the site of a former Native American village.

“The Eastern Band of Cherokee have worked toward good relations with our neighbors but the blatant disregard for the protection of the graves of our relatives and the wanton destruction of our historic sites puts the tribe in a precarious position,” Hicks said in a statement to local media.

• Cherokee Nations seek compromise over runway expansion: The Airport Authority announced Tuesday, Feb. 24 that the proposed runway extension at the Macon County airport was going forward with 25 percent data recovery as scheduled, and archaeologists from TRC Companies Inc. started work at the project site on Monday. But Principal Chief Michell Hicks and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians requested that Macon County look into alternative possibilities to fund 100 percent of data recovery at the site of the runway extension.

Town of Franklin reopens the doors of Town Hall at a new location, formerly known as the Burrell Building on town hill.

• Rift over reclaimed property continues: The Town of Franklin settled with former resident David Whitmire in November for the removal of town property. The three-year-old dispute, however, continues to be an issue.

Whitmire says he was “railroaded” by the town board of aldermen when he paid the town $5,000 for items he removed from his childhood home, a property currently owned by the town. Whitmire said Mayor Joe Collins gave him permission to remove a few mementos from the property.

Whitmire however, removed permanent fixtures from the building, and some aldermen felt that permission to reclaim town property should have come from the board.

“You cannot give town property away,” said Alderman Bob Scott this week. “It belonged to the people of Franklin.”

• Boy Scouts camp and compete in Highlands: Saturday, Feb. 21 dawned cold at the Dunning Tract of forest in Highlands. Boy Scouts from four different troops in the Smoky Mountain Nantahala District were gathered there to compete in the annual Klondike Derby. “The temperature outside was 14 degrees this morning,” said Klondike director Kelly Littlejohn. “It was a little warmer inside the tents, maybe 15 degrees. But these boys are troopers. Not one of them complained about the cold or wanted to leave.”

Archaeologists at the site of the Macon County Airport discovered two palisaded villages in April.

• Town and county amend water extensions to Riverbend area: Water and sewer may not make it all the way to Iotla Valley, but with cooperation between the county and town, water extensions could provide relief to the Riverbend and Swiss Colony area.

Extensions of town utilities have been an on again/off again discussion between the town and county as plans for construction of a new school in Iotla Valley were halted.

Getting water to the Riverbend area, about onethird of the distance, starts the process of bringing water and sewer to the area.

“They have had well problems for a while. It’s a fairly populated area with a real need for a stable, long-lasting water supply,” said County Manager Jack Horton. “It’s a good joint project for us and it will help get water eventually out to Iotla.” March

• Jackson County and Town of Franklin appeal against Duke Energy: The Town of Franklin considered a resolution asking the state to find a better use for money it pledged to assist Duke Energy with dam removal in Jackson County. The motion, however, died on the table once aldermen learned the state had already withdrawn its offer. The town continued lawsuits both in state and federal courts requesting Duke to start over on relicensing several dams on both the Tuckaseegee and Nantahala rivers.

In June, seven-year-old Daniel Tomberlin was the torch bearer in the Franklin Relay for Life survivors lap.

• Franklin protests state flood maps: Aldermen voted to request a deadline extension for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program as well as a re-study of potential flooding areas.

Since June, the town had been considering joining the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) after the state issued new floodplain maps for the county. The new maps introduced significant changes to property located within the 100-year floodplain, particularly in the vicinity of Crawford Branch.

According to local engineering firm McGill Associates, the hydraulic model used by the state to determine areas of flooding is flawed because it does not take into account the divided stream bed of Crawford Branch, which is routed through numerous culverts. The data base used by the state, insists McGill’s report, was not designed to model urban systems with piped streams. Upon numerous site visits and measuring the actual culverts in place, McGill concludes that potential flooding at Crawford Branch would be significantly less than the state suggested.

• Forest fires burn 504 acres: Two fires broke out, burning mountains at separate ends of the county. One fire ignited on Mouse Mountain in the Cowee Community around noon on Sunday, March 8. It was thought to have started from a debris burn pile that got out of control, said North Carolina Forest Service Assistant County Ranger Benjamin J. Keener.

The H1N1 flu scare in 2009 remains a concern in 2010 nationwide.

• Wastewater treatment plant to discharge into Little Tennessee River: The Rabun County, Ga. Board of Commissioners called a special meeting to inform newly-elected board members of the status of the former Fruit of the Loom textile plant. The county was planning a new municipal water plant on the site and was in the process of getting permits from the Environmental Protection Division. A discharge permit was applied for in February, and a 30-day public comment period for the permit was announced.

Of concern to residents in Rabun Co. and downstream of the plant in Macon Co., is the affect on water quality. Town of Franklin Alderman Bob Scott was assigned as a liaison between Franklin and Rabun Co. on the issue and attended the meeting. “The Little Tennessee River is a secondary source of water for the Town of Franklin, and maybe Macon Co. in the future,” he said.

• Airport Authority presents case to commissioners: Airport Authority Chairman Milles Gregory was scheduled to present to the Macon County Board of Commissioners on the status of the county airport runway extension project at the regular commission meeting. During public comment, commissioners also heard from several area residents with concerns over the runway expansion. Concerned individuals expressed dismay in the governmental process leading up to a runway expansion at the site of a former Native American village. Cherokee Tribal Preservation Officer Russell Townsend requested to be on the agenda for the meeting, but instead had to consolidate his concerns for the three minutes commissioners allow individuals for public comment. Townsend reiterated that the tribe is very concerned.

Professor Blair Tormey takes a look at what’s really under the Indian Mound in downtown Franklin.

Townsend also urged the county to look closely at the Environmental Assessment, indicating that it is not complete. “There are going to be some serious questions asked."

In his presentation to commissioners, Gregory urged everyone to visit the airport and “take a look at what Macon County has been able to acquire through money we got through the Department of Transportation and you’ll see it’s been a good investment.”

• Affordable housing project halted: An affordable housing apartment complex in the works for Pauline Avenue had several residents along the street showing signs of protest. They were worried about how traffic and road conditions would be affected along the small street with the addition of 64 apartments. Residents no longer have to worry. The state gave the site a low grade, causing developers to look elsewhere for potential projects.

• Town of Franklin agrees to offset expense for EDC consultant: Alderman Bob Scott raised the issue of the town helping to fund a consultant for the county’s Economic Development Commission (EDC). The issue came up initially at the March 3 town board meeting. Scott said the contract was not listed as an agenda item and just slipped in towards the end of the meeting.

The meeting was not closed and no discussion took place until the continuation meeting the next week. Money was involved, as the mayor finally stated. It was agreed to go ahead and contribute $7,000 to help pay for a part-time consultant for the EDC.

The new Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors bringing class acts to Franklin.

Town Manager Sam Greenwood initially said the county had budgeted $65,000 to pay for a professional developer to run the EDC. The search had resulted in one applicant who was heads above the other applicants, said Greenwood, but the county could not afford him.

Instead, it has offered a compromise – to bring that applicant on board as a consultant and hire an individual with less experience to work full time in the county at a salary closer to $40,000 or $45,000.

Rather than $65,000 per year for the director position, the county and town would pay $79,600 to $84,600 for the director and an office manager or administrative assistant.

To help pay for the consultant, who would work at a rate of $3,300 per month— or $39,600 annually— for one day per week, the mayor asked town aldermen to pledge a set amount to offset the salary.

• Otto armed robbery suspect behind bars: On Friday, March 20 Michael Wayne Galloway, age 34, was arrested by Macon County deputies in connection with the March 17 armed robbery of the Otto General Store. Following the execution of a search warrant, detectives seized several pieces of evidence at Galloway’s residence on Frontier Lane in Franklin.

The robbery occurred around 8:50 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17. Just after midnight on Friday, March 20, Ryan Angel made the arrest without incident.

• Child recovering from pit bull attack: Two-year-old Sam Adler returned home from the hospital just two days after being attacked by the family dog.

Jackson County filed lawsuits to stop Duke Energy from demolishing the Dillsboro dam. The fate of the dam may have been decided this week.

“We’re trying to keep him settled down, I think it’s the medicine he’s on. It is supposed to make him sleepy because he needs to calm down. He is still bleeding a lot,” said his mother, Brandy Johnson.

Unlike a typical two-year-old, Sam has over 200 stitches in his face – the result of a single dog bite from the family’s recently acquired pit bull, Goliath.

The dog had only been in the home for five days prior to the attack, said the toddler’s dad, Samuel Adler. He has owned several pit bulls as pets and said he has never had a problem with one.

“Never anything like this,” Adler said, scooping up his son and giving him a kiss on his head.

• Redistricting probable for South Macon students: Under new districting lines, approximately 39 students in the Patton Valley area would move to Cartoogechaye Elementary due not only to high growth in the South Macon area, but also a delay in the construction of the North Macon K-4 School.

“As you know South Macon is growing actually beyond our dreams, and as you all know it was the directive of the board no mobile units be sent to South Macon,” said Auxiliary Services Director Terry Bell. “Judging by the numbers we have seen in the past, we know that it will grow again next fall. There is going to be no place to put the children.”

Superintendent Dan Brigman said Bell has worked with principals at both schools in formulating new district lines.

April

• Airport meeting draws standing-room-only crowd: About 50 community members packed into the board room at the Airport Authority meeting to offer their comments on the proposed runway expansion. Residents said they felt like they have been left out of the process, which will have an impact on the natural and scenic beauty of the entire area if further development continues.

Eric Rysdon, project engineer for the runway expansion project, announced that the possibility exists for 100 percent stripping and mapping of the five-acre site at the Macon County airport.

The site had been the center of controversy when funding allowed for only 25 percent recovery in an area that purportedly houses a possible 390 Native American burials and an archaeological goldmine in artifacts.

“This is great news and will address many of the [Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’] primary concerns,” wrote the tribe’s historic preservation officer Russ Townsend. “I know it is a substantial burden for the [Airport] Authority, but I think it is worth the expense and added effort. If I had a hat, it would be off to them for this decision.”

• New county planner anticipates future of Macon: Derek Roland, hired as the new Macon County Planner, was acclimating to his new position. Roland, a Macon County native, said he was honored to be in a position that allows him to give something back to his fellow Maconians. Roland said that his main role as county planner is to “work with the planning board, under the direction of the commissioners, to ensure that the county develops in a manner that not only preserves its beauty, but promotes the welfare both socially and economically of our citizens.

When asked his stance on issues such as steep slope development or junkyard and manufactured home ordinances, Roland said, “It is the stance of the community as a whole that will dictate which way the winds of change will blow in this county.”

In September, a departmental realignment occurred, consolidating the planning, permitting and development offices with former Chief Building Inspector Jack Morgan heading up the three areas. The following week, former County Planning Director Stacy Guffey announced his resignation after four years of serving Macon County.

Morgan earned the title of Director of Planning, Permitting and Development, while Bobby Crisp became Chief Building Inspector and Matt Mason runs environmental services.

County Manager Jack Horton said the reorganization was designed to improve efficiency. Horton said he is trying to create “one stop shopping” for planning and permitting. “A big part of the economy in this county is tied to this department,” said Horton in September.

Some, however, expressed concern over Guffey’s abrupt resignation. Lewis Penland Jr., planning board chairman, said he felt the old system was working well and producing sound ordinances. “With the new system you have added another layer to the process,” said Penland.

• Dedication ceremony debuts Franklin’s new Town Hall: The former W.C. Burrell Building on Main Street in Franklin has been transformed into Town Hall, with a complete renovation of the anchor at the heart of downtown. On Monday, April 6, the town board held a dedication ceremony for the building, along with an open house for a public tour. Aldermen held their first meeting in the new boardroom Monday evening. Town Hall now includes a large lower-level boardroom with a rounded dais for aldermen to sit and view private monitors. The audience can view presentations from two big-screen monitors behind the dais.

The board room can also be utilized as a staging area during festivals and parades or for town luncheons. An adjacent lounge will also be used for closed session discussions by the aldermen.

Staff offices and small conference rooms are on the upper level. There is also a concrete and fireproof secure vault, and an upstairs break room with kitchenette. The restrooms located by the payment window are secured from the rest of the building and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• WildSouth prepares lawsuit and injunction over airport expansion: Environmental group WildSouth was poised to bring a lawsuit against the airport authority claiming the authority violated the Endangered Species Act of America.

In that vein, the organization filed public records and freedom of information act requests for all documentation over the last 10 years from affiliated organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the N.C. Department of Transportation, the state archaeologist and the Macon County Airport Authority.

“We are not going to stop the archaeological work, but not one inch of asphalt is going to be laid even if the extension is important,” said Lamar Marshall, cultural heritage director for the group. “This extension is just the first step. They are laying the groundwork for an industrial park. That’s what they’re not telling you.”

• Homelessness on the rise in Macon County: Around 30 individuals representing various agencies in Macon County met to discuss strategies for responding to the county's rapidly increasing homeless population.

“Homelessness has become an issue that has popped up in our county,” said Kathy Mc-Gaha, program director of Healthy Carolinians of Macon County. McGaha said that with the economic downturn, agencies have been “experiencing this homelessness issue at a much larger level than we have in the past.”

Rick Westerman, executive director of Macon County Habitat for Humanity, said that since November, 48 families have presented themselves to him looking for shelter during freezing temperatures. “There are eight living in vehicles; one known family living in a tent in the Nantahala Forest,” said Westerman.

According to the McKinney-Vento Act, homelessness is a lack of permanent housing, or the use of housing not meant for human habitation, as the result of extreme poverty. The act states that “a minimum wage worker cannot afford the Fair Market Rent for housing in any jurisdiction in the United States.”

• Marijuana plants seized in Cullowhee: On April 2, 2009, at approximately 11 a.m., officers of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at 1860 Wayehutta Road in Cullowhee. An indoor marijuana manufacturing operation was discovered and 116 marijuana plants were seized. Three people were arrested. They are: Daniel James Riddell, 39, Daniel James Riddell II, 20, and Susan Elizabeth Riddell, 38. The amount of marijuana seized would have an approximate street value of $290,000.

• Joint WNC narcotics sting leads to 40 arrests: Forty suspects were taken into custody after a bevy of indictments were issued in the first wave of the largest undercover drug sting in the county, and investigators said more arrests were expected.

Federal charges were issued against 14 of the suspects, charged with federal conspiracy to possess and distribute crack cocaine and with the unlawful use of a communication facility in committing the drug conspiracy.

Four were also charged with money laundering, using Money Gram International to “conceal and disguise the nature, location, source ownership and control of controlled substances,” according to the federal indictment.

“These charges allege drug trafficking in small, rural communities on a grand scale,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Ryan. “The message should be very clear: individuals who participate in drug distribution conspiracies in small, rural communities are not operating successfully under federal radar.”

The investigation was initiated in November 2007. For more than a year, officers from several agencies worked undercover conducting surveillance and purchasing various amounts of illegal substances.

• Protesters say they’re ‘Taxed Enough Already: It’s rare to see protesters outside the Macon County Courthouse, but that’s exactly what happened on Wednesday, April 15, also known as tax day. Protesters against steep tax hikes in the state’s budget gathered at the courthouse in Franklin at noon, with similar protests being held in Raleigh, Charlotte, Wilmington, Edenton, Asheville and Greensboro, and across the nation. The local protest was hosted by Freedom-Works of Macon County. A crowd estimated at more than 600 people gathered at the gazebo downtown, many holding signs which displayed their feelings about high taxes and bailout money.

• Budget shortfall ‘not as bad as it could be’: Macon commissioners showed relief when a financial snapshot reflected the county would end the fiscal year within $100,000 of projected revenue short falls.

In December, County Manager Jack Horton and finance officer Evelyn Southard recalculated the budget based on falling revenues, determining a $1.4 million estimated deficit. At the three-quarter mark, it appears projections are on target.

Commission chairman Ronnie Beale quickly added that while departments made cuts to alleviate the shortfall, the entire budget was managed without cutting services.

• Authorities searching nationwide for Mountain City rape suspect: Daniel Perez Soto, 28, of Mountain City, Ga. is the subject of a nationwide lookout after fleeing authorities on Sunday, April 19.

Deputies from the Rabun County Sheriff's office arrived at a residence near George Eller Curve in response to an unknown complaint. Rabun County Sheriff Frank Andrews said when the deputies arrived, they discovered that a female had been physically and sexually assaulted. The suspect was still at the scene. When deputies attempted to arrest Soto, he resisted authorities and dove through a glass window to avoid the arrest and fled the scene into a wooded area, Sheriff Andrews said.

The Rabun County Sheriff's Office used its Criminal Investigations Division as well as off-duty personnel in the search for the suspect. Also helping in the search were tracking dogs from the Lee Arrendale Correctional Institute, the Department of Natural Resources, Mountain City Police Department, Dillard Police Department, and the Clayton Police Department. Both deputies responding to the initial call were treated and released from Mountain Lakes Medical Center after suffering minor injuries in the struggle with Soto.

• Airport dig yields new anthropological discovery: A significant historical discovery was made when archaeologists at the site of the proposed Macon County Airport runway extension discovered two palisaded villages, circa 1100 A.D.

“We had no idea there were palisaded villages in 1100 A.D.,” said Tasha Benyshek, senior archaeologist on the project with TRC Solutions.

Benyshek has been working at the site for several weeks, removing top soil and performing preliminary mapping of archaeological features. Her crew was hired to perform artifact removal and data recovery on a portion of the area slated for a runway extension.

The Macon County Airport is located in Iotla Valley on property that was once apparently home to several native peoples. Artifacts found on site date back as early as 2000 B.C., said Benyshek.

The evidence suggested that vertical fences were used to fortify homesteads nearly a thousand years ago. Benyshek called the discovery a rare find, citing few instances where such palisades were ever documented. “It’s a little known time period,” she said. “There are so many posts and features in that area.”

• Prosecution team to address domestic violence: Resources or victims of domestic violence in Macon, Jackson and Haywood counties have broadened. A Domestic Violence Victims Prosecution Unit has been assembled to work under District Attorney Michael Bonfoey.

“The ultimate goal,” said Bonfoey of the new initiative, “is to stop the violence.” Bonfoey said he wanted to see a prosecution team dedicated to domestic violence, which is defined as violence occurring between partners, parent and child, or between siblings.

May

• Dry Falls on track to reopen: As summer tourist season was fast approaching, the news couldn’t have come at a better time. Dry Falls, a major area attraction on Highlands Road between Franklin and Highlands, would be reopening soon after being closed for an improvement project which has taken nearly two years to complete. Optimistically, if the weather cooperates, the opening could come as early as the middle of June, said Lynn Hicks. Hicks is an U.S. Forest Service engineer based in Asheville. “We really want this to be open by the big Fourth of July weekend,” he said.

• Seven H1N1 flu cases confirmed in North Carolina: North Carolina was added to the list of 41 states reporting confirmed cases of H1N1 virus, more commonly known as “swine flu.”

Between May 3 and 5, state confirmations jumped from one to seven. There are no cases reported in the western region of the state.

“Macon County public health officials are taking appropriate steps to safeguard the health of residents,” said public health director Jim Bruckner on Tuesday. “This includes active surveillance and making preparations for the distribution of antiviral medication received from Strategic National Stockpile and other materials for fighting infectious disease, such as gloves and masks if needed.”

• State, county school systems prep for serious budget cuts: The Board of Education changed direction and elected to withdraw discussion of creating eight instructional facilitator positions for the 2009-10 school year. In addition, it voted to accept the .5 percent deduction in pay for all state, federal and locally paid full-time employees in the school system.

Both moves stemmed directly from the weakening state budget, which is facing a $3.2 billion shortfall for this fiscal year. The state is predicted to make deep cuts in education funding.

Federal stimulus money is expected to offset some of that shortfall.

• Budget proposal promises no tax increases: Taking a stance on the public’s willingness or ability to sustain a tax increase, county manager Jack Horton presented its budget – one Horton said comes from the county being “vigilant in its approach to realistic budgeting and financial planning.”

The county proposed the lowest budget seen in the last five tax years, totaling almost $42 million.

It’s a 10 percent reduction from the initial budget proposed last July at $46.7 million, but almost flat to the year’s final revenues projected at $42.2 million.

“It’s not a growth budget by any means. It’s a status quo budget, one in which we can hold our own and try to weather the storm until it passes,” Horton said.

• Civil War saga being filmed in Macon: A young boy dressed in Civil War-era clothes runs slap-dash through a crowd of women in hand-made dresses headed to the general store on Main Street in Franklin. He rushes past a couple, headed to the store from the other direction. The boy bursts through the doors of the general store, eager to blurt out the urgent news he’s just heard — the Rebels have fired on Fort Sumter.

The young man, Warren Stiles, was acting the part of Jasper Stiles, his great-great grandfather who fought in the Civil War with the 25th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. Warren was one of many actors on hand Saturday, May 9 at the Macon County Historical Museum to film a movie being made as a fundraiser for the Historical Society. In the scene, Stiles is in a hurry to get inside the store and relay the news that the Civil War is imminent.

The movie came about in a process when the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy donated actual letters sent home to Macon County from soldiers during the Civil War to the Macon County Historical Society. Steven Rice, director of the historical society, corroborated with Michael Rogers, a local artist who is branching out to work in multi-media projects, and the idea for a film — “Civil War Letters of Macon County” — was born.

• Tragic crash claims life of former FHS graduate: Twenty-year-old Carrie Ann Sellers was killed early Wednesday morning in a fatal car crash investigators are claiming was truly an accident. Sellers was traveling west on U.S. 23, about 7.8 miles east of Sylva just after midnight on Wednesday, May 20, when she ran off the road.

“I think that put her somewhere in the Balsam area,” said Trooper Michael Holcombe, who relayed preliminary report information. The gray Toyota she was driving struck some rocks and overturned, ejecting Sellers from the vehicle.

Sellers was a 2007 graduate of Franklin High School and had attended Western Carolina University.

“Carrie graduated two years ago and I have to say, she was just an exceptional young lady,” said FHS Principal Gary Shields.

• Burglary ring hits 14 Nantahala homes: A burglary ring in the Nantahala area was broken up when Macon County Sheriff’s deputies arrested six individuals. Approximately 14 homes were broken into and burglarized over the last five months.

“The problem in this case is that a lot of these homes are vacation homes, so we don’t know exactly when the homes were broken into, ” said Sheriff Robbie Holland, adding that additional homes may be identified as people are returning to homes for the season.

Four of the six suspects were from Cherokee County and the Andrews/Murphy area. Two suspects lived in Nantahala.

“This was definitely organized; it was not random acts,” he said.

• No drought in N.C. for first time in two years: For the first time in more than two years, no part of North Carolina is experiencing drought.

On Thursday, May 14, the federal drought map showed that widespread rainfall in recent weeks brought improvements throughout North Carolina, most notably in 14 mountain counties that had been the state’s only area experiencing drought. Fifty-three counties on opposite ends of the state remain abnormally dry, which means an area could return to drought without adequate rainfall.

“Certainly, we’re encouraged by the rainfall we’ve seen recently,” said Dee Freeman, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “But it’s safe to say we’re cautiously optimistic about what this means for the weeks and months ahead. There’s no reason people should not try to conserve water whenever possible.”

“There is still the possibility that dry conditions can return, and we could have impacts from drought this summer.”

The drought of 2007-08 was the worst in North Carolina since recordkeeping began on the subject in 1895. The drought started Feb. 13, 2007, creep ing from the mountains to the coast as a lack of rainfall depleted streamflows and reservoirs to record low levels.

• EDC consultant reports on technology: Macon County’s future could capitalize on one of its most unique and largely underutilized resources, the BalsamWest fiber network.

Economic Development Consultant James McCoy released his report on the state of the economy in Macon County and said the future may not rest solely on the second homeowners and fickle tourist seasons, but on bringing higher paying jobs to the region and raising everyone’s standard of living.

“We need to be doing a better job of getting better jobs to this area,” he said.

McCoy just completed his market analysis of the area. He held 40 meetings with various “stakeholders” in the community – EDC members, public officials and major employers. Through these interviews he detailed Macon’s economic picture and drew from that a concept of where we could be going.

McCoy said Macon County is positioned to capitalize on strengths of being centrally located to several cities, like Greenville, Asheville, Atlanta and Chattanooga, offering unique infrastructure like the Balsam West, having low tax rates and remaining in a natural setting.

• Curtain rises on Franklin's new performing arts center: Phil and Sharon Drake opened the doors for the new Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, revealing nothing short of a topof- the-line theater. The couple said they are hoping it will draw attendees from a two-hour radius.

“When we started this project I told my contractor he needed to build it in my budget and Sharon’s taste. When those two converge, guess who wins?” Drake said to a semi-private audience gathered for the center’s preview tour.

The 1,500-seat theater is located just off Highway 441S behind the Fun Factory. Mixing popular mountain building materials with contemporary fixtures and color schemes may not be an easy task, but it was pulled together in a design that now sits as a monument to the performing arts community of Western North Carolina.

• Woman dies of apparent suicide at Shell station: Franklin Police responded to a distress call Thursday, May 21 at the Shell station at 15 Allman Drive, beside Arby’s. The nature of the call was an apparent attempted suicide.

Upon arrival, officers found 44-year-old Margie Dale Waters in her father’s vehicle with a gunshot wound to her head. Investigating officer Detective Tracy Chastain said that Waters’ injury seems to have been self-inflicted. Chastain said, “It appears to be a suicide.”

Waters, who was from Hiawassee, Ga., was in Franklin with her father and was a passenger in his car. Waters’ father went into the Shell Station around 6 p.m. on Thursday evening to pay for gas. When he returned to the vehicle, he found Waters with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police arrived on scene and Waters was transported to Angel Medical Center by Macon County Emergency Medical Services. She was then airlifted to Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville where she died a short time later.

Franklin Police followed protocol in assessing the scene and closed off the area to collect evidence.

It was noted that the gun was fired twice. Police Administrative Assistant Al Vendrell said this is the second time he has seen a female “test fire” a gun in a suicide situation. It is thought that no drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.

June

• Exploring the mystery of the Nikwasi Mound: After years of speculation, the contents of the Nikwasi Mound were finally be revealed. Scientists and members of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation met at the mound in downtown Franklin for the opportunity to use a ground-penetrating radar unit to glean information from the ancient tribal mound. Blair Tormey, professor of geology at Western Carolina University, said that a ground penetrating radar unit is one of the best ways to discover what may be there.

Tormey pushed the machine up and over the mound to create a cross-section image from various angles. The unit used penetrates eight feet of depth, reflecting images through radar technology. He then started creating a grid by 10-foot spacings.

Tormey said that the earth looked “disturbed” versus “natural” under the mound, perhaps due to packing. Eight or nine boulder-sized objects were visible on the screen. The objects, he said, could be stones or post holes from a former structure and are located within the top two feet of the mound.

Tormey said he will likely spend two days at Nikwasi. In a few weeks, he would have a map for viewing.

• Commissioners deliver message to school board: Conserve: County commissioners stuck to their guns on a fiscally conservative budget this year telling Macon County Schools representatives a 10 percent increase in funding was not possible.

In an effort to operate in a time of falling revenues, county departments were asked to make cuts to existing budgets to lower projected expenses. Last year, the county provided local funding of $6.9 million to the school system; this year, the school’s budget included a request for an additional $710,026 from the county.

“No matter how you look at this – take the stimulus money out of the picture – you are still asking for a 10 percent increase in your funding while every other department cut spending by 10 percent,” said commissioner Bobby Kuppers.

The school stands to receive more than $1.6 million over the next two years in federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Those funds are earmarked for special purposes, specifically Title I and IDEIA programs.

• WNC region confirms first case of H1N1 virus: The first confirmed case of swine flu, or H1N1 virus, was documented in Buncombe County when a nurse at Mission Hospital tested positive for the virus. Health officials agreed, however, that there were many more cases already in the area.

“With the threshold for testing being so high at this point, it is hard to say how many cases are out there,” said Gibbie Harris, Buncombe County health director.

Macon County Public health director Jim Bruckner said that the Center for Disease Control recommends that testing occur only when there is an admission to a hospital for flu-like symptoms. There are no confirmed cases of the virus within Macon County.

“The public health center knows that H1N1 is present in the region and is spreading with case numbers increasing statewide,” Bruckner said.

• EDC brings young talent to the forefront: After an exhaustive 10-month search, the economic development search committee announced its new director, Franklin native Trevor Dalton.

“We were very impressed with the fact that he’s personable, appears highly intelligent and he’s enthusiastic – especially about Macon County – and he’s young,” said Ed Shatley, EDC board chairman. Dalton was raised in Macon County and attended Franklin High School. He then enrolled at Appalachian State University, graduating in 2007. Parents Wendy and Terry Dalton are owners of Dalton Construction.

EDC members say Dalton posesses a strong financial background; a degree in business administration specializing in insurance and risk management, experience as an insurance agent and a former project manager for a software development company.

• Airport Authority reverses decision on community questions: Members of the public have questions they want answers to, but according to Airport Authority Attorney Joe Collins, those questions will remain unanswered.

On the request of authority chairman Milles Gregory, residents submitted written questions regarding the Macon County Airport expansion and future development.

“It is my opinion,” wrote Collins, “that neither Chairman Gregory nor any member of the Airport Authority are obligated to respond to your questionnaire, and I have advised them accordingly.”

The letter was sent to a representative from two groups, Olga Pader with Save Iotla Valley Citizens Group and Sharon Kitchens with Save the Sacred Sites. The two organizations are not related. Each group, however, submitted separate lists of questions to the authority last month.

Collins said in all, just from Save Iotla Valley, there were about 50 questions.

“Some are questions. Some are statements of opinion. Some would require extensive research, engineering and hard work that those asking the question could answer just as well,” Collins said.

He said all resources are available to residents, like the 400-page environmental assessment which addresses issues like need for the airport and size of planes that are currently using the airport and will use the airport in the future.

• Renewed hope for local governments in case against Duke: A move by Jackson County Commissioners to take control of Dillsboro Dam by eminent domain could give the Town of Franklin an opening in its case against Duke Power.

Since being left out of relicensing negotiations seven years ago, the town has joined forces with Jackson County, Friends of Lake Glenville and others to force Duke’s hand in renegotiating its relicensing.

“If Duke doesn’t remove that dam, they will have to go back and renegotiate,” said Franklin alderman Verlin Curtis. “We will be negotiator at the table from day one.”

Duke Energy representative Fred Alexander said that initially Macon County was invited to the Nantahala stakeholder table. In regards to the Tuckaseigee Stakeholder Settlement Team, neither Macon County nor the town was invited to the table because the area is outside of the geographic region of focus.

• Town adopts budget and employee longevity pay policy: The Town of Franklin Board of Aldermen adopted the town budget prepared for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The budget called for no tax increase and would operate at the current tax rate of 25 cents per one hundred dollars. The budget went into effect on July 1.

In addition to the unanimous vote on the budget, the board voted on a longevity pay policy for town employees. The policy would allow an annual payment to employees who have provided at least 10 years of service to the town.

Aldermen discussed the option to include the service of employees transferring through the N.C. Local Government Retirement System in town longevity pay incentives.

Alderman Bob Scott said he would like the incentive to only be available for employees who have been with the Town of Franklin. “We’re trying to set up a system to hold valuable employees for the Town of Franklin not for the purpose of recruiting people,” said Scott.

Alderman Verlin Curtis agreed that the longevity pay could help in recruiting employees if they could transfer from another town and still receive the pay from the Town of Franklin.

• Swine flu outbreak hits Rabun summer camp: Camp Ramah Darom in nearby Rabun County, Ga., reported an outbreak of H1N1 influenza. On Sunday, June 14, one camper was taken to Mountain Lakes Medical Center in Clayton with flu-like symptomssaid spokesperson Andrea Proser. Other kids experiencing similar symptoms were quarantined at the camp. Two doctors and three nurses work at the camp during the summer session, and additional medical staff were brought in to help. The children sick from the initial outbreak recovered from the illness, Proser said. At least 100 people were affected, she said.

• Airport Authority reverses decision again; pledges to answer community questions: The airport authority will start answering the public’s questions about an expansion project in process despite earlier statements that the authority lacked the resources needed to respond.

Chairman Milles Gregory said that there was no set time in which people could expect answers, but answers were forthcoming.

“We are doing some research now. We have the environmental assessment, [EA] which is a very extensive report. We can answer most of the questions asked from that report,” Gregory said.

On June 11, The Macon County News reported that a letter sent by authority attorney Joe Collins stated that, “It is my opinion that neither Chairman Gregory nor any member of the Airport Authority are obligated to respond to your questionnaire, and I have advised them accordingly.”

“Joe, as our attorney is doing a good job,” Gregory said. But, he said, Collins has only been on the job a short time and may not have been aware of the resources already available. Gregory said he stands by Collins’ initial decision, but on second examination he realized many of the questions could be answered from the EA.

“Joe was thinking about the time and resources it would take to conduct all of the research; he didn’t know it had already been done,” Gregory said.