Last Thursday, school officials arrived on the Franklin High School campus to find that overnight the school had fallen victim to a senior prank.

Franklin High School Principal Dr. Chris Baldwin said school officials are continuing to investigate a senior prank at the school.

Authorities with the Macon County Sheriff's Office have shut down and seized property in two indoor marijuana growing operations since Saturday. According to documents on file with the Clerk or Courts office, Macon County Magistrate Miciah Leatherman issued a search warrant at 7:14 p.m. in the matter of 526 Coweeta Church Road to Macon County Sheriff's Office Detective Chris Murray. The search warrant allowed Murray to search the premises, vehicle, and person of Christopher Michael Belvedere.

Belvedere was arrested and charged with one count of manufacturing a schedule VI controlled substance.

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.