Nearly six years after the brutal murders of a Hendersonville couple in the Pisgah National Forest, Gary Michael Hilton was sentenced to four life sentences on Thursday, April 25, in U.S. District Court for the kidnapping and murder of John D. Bryant and Irene W. Bryant. He was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for a related robbery offense, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

In March of 2012, Hilton first pleaded guilty to murdering the Bryants, who were in their 80s. He also pleaded guilty to robbery, kidnapping and firearms offenses.

Hilton was able to avoid the death penalty in North Carolina in exchange for a plea arrangement.

Work will be completed for Memorial Day opening.

As the weather starts to warm up, families in Macon County can start to look forward to to a new pool facility at the recreation park. During a recent joint meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners, Town of Highlands and Town of Franklin, County Commission Chair Kevin Corbin announced that the renovations to Macon County's community pool would be complete and ready for opening day by Memorial Day weekend.

The Town of Franklin had a discharge of untreated sewage from its pump station located at 3174 Wayah Road of approximately 4,500 gallons. The discharge was first discovered April 29, at 9 a.m. and lasted approximately 1 hour.

The untreated wastewater entered Wayah Creek. The spill occurred because of pump station failure, due to heavy rain.

This notice is required by North Carolina General Statutes Article 21 Chapter 142.215.C.

For more information contact Assistant to the Town Manager, Summer Woodard at (828)524-2516.

Phil Drake, chief executive officer of Drake Enterprises, and Kenny Messer, an executive with Milliken Corp., are the two newest members of the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees.

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors elected Drake, of Franklin, and Messer, of Greenville, S.C., to four-year terms on the WCU board. The UNC system governing body also re-appointed current trustees Edward Broadwell Jr. of Asheville, retiring in November as chairman and CEO of Home Trust Bank, and Southern Pines businessman George Little to four-year terms.

The appointments, effective July 1, are contingent on submission of statements of economic interest and vetting by the State Ethics Board. The UNC board is scheduled to confirm the appointments at its June meeting.