Cousins Stephen Drake and Stephen Wright are spearheading an effort next month to send a group of abused and neglected children to summer camp through the Royal Family Kids Camp program.

During the entire month of April, which is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the two Stephens will hold a fundraiser with the help of some local businesses. Proceeds will fund a camp trip for children from across the state between the ages of 7 and 11, who are currently in the custody of Social Services. Drake and Wright both began volunteering as counselors for the program two years ago, making this year their third.

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office will participate in Operation Medicine Drop on Saturday, March 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in conjunction with the Franklin Police Department and the Highlands Police Department.

This is a prescription drug take-back event where you can safely and legally dispose of your expired or unused prescription medications. Local law enforcement agencies will coordinate this operation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, NC State Bureau of Investigation, NC Department of Insurance, Child Fatality Task Force and Poison Help.

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The Town of Franklin will hold its first festival of the year on Saturday, April 2, celebrating its appreciation of Appalachian Trail hikers. Despite the event’s title, April Fools’ Trail Days promises to be no joke, taking place all day in historic Downtown Franklin.

Event organizers are seeking to bring together trail hikers, visitors and locals at the third annual event, to raise awareness and celebrate the AT’s significance as a national hallmark.

The largest association of educators in the state is calling for a boycott of all businesses owned by Art Pope, a North Carolina business man and political insider who has contributed millions of dollars to conservative groups pressing for the elimination of caps on charter school funding. The decision to call for the boycott was made last week at the annual convention of the North Carolina Association of Educators.

Art Pope is the president of Variety Wholesalers, Inc., and a director of the conservative political advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity.