Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Hunter, Lubbock, Texas, announce the engagement and upcoming marriage of their daughter, Laura Elizabeth Hunter, to Caleb Adrian Jackson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eric J. Jackson of Franklin and Ms. Laura Pales, of Lincoln, Neb.

The bride-elect is a graduate of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, and is employed with Wells Fargo Bank, Orange, Texas.

Nikkie Marie Ellis and Nathaniel Earl Lovell of Franklin, announce their upcoming marriage on Saturday, May 18.

The bride-elect is the daughter of Rick Antes and Sandra Gravits and Lou Buffington.

The groom-elect is the son of Wendell and Teresa Lovell, of Franklin.

More than 3,000 little yellow rubber ducks will be dropped into the Sylva Pool to help raise money for Jackson, Macon and Swain County New Century Scholars.

The popular annual Ducks on the Tuck race will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, with Southwestern Community College President Don Tomas diving for ducks. If you haven’t purchased your racing duck yet, they can be “adopted” at Greening Up the Mountains, from local New Century Scholars or through the SCC Foundation Office. This year’s grand prize is a 32” flat screen television along with more than 50 other prizes awarded.

The 10th annual plant sale of the Macon County Master Gardener Association will be held on Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Environmental Resource Center (ERC), 1624 Lakeside Drive, next to the landfill in Franklin.

A wide selection of plants – perennials, woody ornamentals, annuals, vegetables, herbs – will be available at reasonable prices. All proceeds of the sale go to the further development and maintenance of the demonstration gardens at the ERC.

Master Gardeners volunteer at the ERC on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until noon, and the public is invited to visit the gardens during these hours.